BENGALURU: The city traffic police have finally woken up to the problem of perennial traffic congestion at the Tin Factory Junction on the Old Madras Road and put up a traffic signal to regulate vehicular movement. The signal is located near the K.R. Puram cable stayed bridge. Despite repeated pleas by the public in various platforms, including social media, for a traffic signal at the Tin Factory junction, no action was taken so far. A week ago, the traffic police department installed the signal.
This junction witnesses heavy traffic all through the day, as it provides connectivity to Whitefield, Marathahalli, K.R. Puram, Bellandur and surrounding areas, which house many software majors. Vehicles coming from Hebbal and OMR and heading towards K.R. Puram or Whitefield have to pass through the Tin Factory junction. A year ago metro rail construction began at this junction, and things have gone from bad to worse. As it is a national highway, there is movement of heavy vehicles throughout the day.
A senior police officer from the traffic department said, "We observed that no matter how many personnel are deputed to man the traffic, there was congestion and we cannot have people deployed round the clock. We tried even diverting the buses into bus bay, but even this did not work. Now we have finally put the traffic signal and hope that people will follow the rules. The congestion on this stretch can be reduced only if the motorists follow simple traffic rules like maintaining lane discipline, but sadly no one follows it."
A traffic personnel from the K.R. Puram traffic police station claimed that the traffic snarls have come down after the traffic signal came up. "The traffic signal was installed around a week ago and is being tested. Now there is not much of traffic congestion. We have also deployed a couple of traffic personnel to penalize motorists who jump the signal. If they follow the rules, then there will be no congestion."
Mixed reaction
While some motorists welcomed the setting up of signal and claimed it has improved traffic movement, others said there is hardly any difference. Anirudh Gowda, a daily commuter on this stretch and a resident of K.R. Puram, said, "No matter what is done, the problem will continue to prevail. The traffic police should shift the bus stop at the entrance of the cable stayed bridge. Only then the problem will be solved. The traffic police are aware of this problem, but nothing is being done about it."
