Bangalore: Jules D'Costa, an NRI who was on his way to the airport missed his flight just because he blindly followed the BDA signboard that was on St. John's road showing him to take left for Cubbon Road.
The Anglo-Indian who has his house in Halsoor had been working as a ticket collector in Australia and was on holidays for Christmas and NewYear in the city.
On January 6, 2014, he backpacked, booked his flight tickets and was driving his car along with his nephew to the airport. D'Costa wanted to meet a friend on Cubbon Road to greet him for Christmas and NewYear before he left the city. His nephew accompanied him in the car as he could drive it back to home.
On reaching the St. John's road, D'Costa saw a huge BDA signboard which said turn left for Cubbon Road. As he turned and drove down the road, traffic police who were booking cases for drunken driving stopped him on the one-way and fined him as he had entered a no-entry.
The Anglo-Indian tried to persuade the police officers that he had come from another country and tried to explain about the signboard that he was following which said he can take the road to go towards Cubbon Road, but the cops did not buy his story. Ultimately, he had to cough up the fine and forget about meeting his friend on Cubbon Road. He drove his car as fast as he could to reach the airport a little late only to find out that he had missed his flight.
D'Costa had to board a different flight on the next day to join his duties back in Australia. "It was a huge signboard and who knew it was wrong. It was tricky as last time I was in Bangalore, I remember going towards Cubbon Road taking that turn, but strangely it isn't" said Jules D'Costa, the NRI.
For a commuter who comes from Halsoor through St. John's road, can only lead to touch areas like Benson Town, Cantonment, Nandidurg Road, and Mekhri Circle and not Cubbon Road. For reaching Cubbon Road, one should not be taking the St. John's road, but instead take the road adjacent to Halsoor Lake and travel towards M.G. Road and Cubbon Road sides.
"The BDA's sign board there on St. John's road is thoroughly misleading. It's like telling you can go to a place when you actually cannot. The engineers should have studied the roads prior to putting these huge boards up" says Kiran Kumar R. a furniture consultant and a commuter.
When the BDA engineers were contacted, they told that the signage has been in the area for quite some time. It might be due to the recent developments like making roads one-way, the mistake would have happen. "We will send our engineers to the spot and inspect it and we will do what needs to be done" said P. N. Nayak, Engineer Member, BDA.
