Bengaluru: Hebbal, it's hell, says residents

Bengaluru: Commuting through the chaotic Hebbal flyover is an ordeal and poor traffic management and lack of traffic policemen at the crucial junction are the reasons for the mess, said angry residents of North Bengaluru.

BMTC buses park right at the entrance of the flyover, and taxis and autorickshaws pick up and drop passengers on the middle of the road without any concern for the traffic, they say. They complained that nothing seems to be in order both at the entrance and exit of the Hebbal junction, which leads to the Kempegowda International Airport.

The BMTC has a bus-stop at the entrance of the flyover and with buses picking up and dropping passengers, they hinder the smooth movement of fast-moving traffic.With no traffic policemen in the vicinity, cabs and autorickshaws stop on the main road.  

Pedestrians too are forced to jaywalk as the spot has no skywalk. Though a skywalk was proposed more than two years ago, the government is yet to launch it. The residents had pinned their hopes on the steel flyover, but it was shelved a few days ago after protests from environmental activists over cutting of a large number of trees. The residents are angry that the project has been shelved without providing any alternatives.

It can be fixed without any investment, says Expert
The Hebbal junction is plagued with problems that can be fixed without any investment, said Dr Ashish Verma, mobility expert and associate professor, Centre for Infrastructure Sustainable Transportation and Urban Planning (CiSTUP), IISc.He said that the three crucial 'E's – Engineering, Education and Enforcement – are missing at the junction.“The bus stop at close proximity to the Hebbal Flyover is one of the main reasons for sluggish movement of traffic. Right at the entrance of the Hebbal flyover, we find BMTC buses piling up one after the other affecting the smooth flow of traffic. Long journey buses (both government and private), which head towards Hyderabad, Anantapur, Bagepalle, Doddaballapur, Chikkaballapur and KIA, stop at the Veterinary College Bus Stop for minutes together,” he said.Cabs and autorickshaws too stop at the junction creating traffic snarls. Traffic policemen should be proactive and manage traffic properly, he said. Skywalks should be completed at Esteem Mall junction to prevent jaywalking. A big volume of traffic on Ballari Road can be reduced by popularising alternative roads to the airport, he said.

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