Chaos junction: When Ejipura meets Koramangala

Viveknagar signal, which branches out onto Ejipura Main Road and 80 Feet Road, Koramangala, is a hub of chaos everyday. Namma Metro construction work, the absence of a divider and traffic policemen results in drivers doing as they please, leading to road rage, arguments and more pileup. Worse, this junction is also where garbage trucks converge in the evenings, with piles of unsegregated waste that they dump on the side of the road. Sometimes, sludge from the nearby drains are left there, causing an unbearable stench. Why has such a busy junction  been allowed to go to seed, ask Mujahid Deputy and Pragna L. Krupa

Bengaluru’s traffic troubles don’t seem to be receding despite the Metro Rail beginning to extend its reach to various parts of the city now. Some areas remain more congested than others like the Ejipura Main Road leading to the Vivek Nagar signal, which sees haphazard driving  and pure chaos most days. The problem is more acute at the circle connecting Ejipura Main Road to NGV road .

 The cause of it all appears to be the absence of a road divider along a major stretch of the Ejipura Main Road, which allows drivers to do as they please. Worse is the absence of the police at the spot to regulate the traffic, which  leads to fierce arguments among commuters getting in each other’s way and contributes to more traffic pile-ups.

"The traffic problem and haphazard driving in the area is not new. Drivers coming from all three directions at the junction take abrupt turns here, giving little time for those from the opposite direction to react. This leads to traffic jams at the circle with vehicle pile-ups on all  three roads leading to it. We have complained many times to the traffic police, but no action has been taken so far," grumbled Mr Ashok, an employee with a private firm, who regularly uses the stretch.

Another  resident of Ejipura, Rajesh, said, "On my way to office and back, I see at least one roadside quarrel every day because of the traffic chaos. The lack of road discipline is a huge problem here. Even if all traffic safety measures are put in place unless people have a better driving sense, the problem will not go away."  

Adding to the mess is the  garbage, which is often found overflowing on the pavements in the area, forcing the pedestrians to walk on the road in the way of traffic, causing more hold-ups.

Garbage piles are a common sight all along the road starting from the Indian Oil petrol bunk near the indoor stadium to the joint connecting Ejipura main road with the locals merrily throwing their rubbish on the roadside.

Sadly, not only does the BBMP not stop them, but it also does nothing to clear the garbage, leaving it to come in the way of traffic instead.

When contacted, Mayor Gangambike Mallikarjun had no explanation for the BBMP’s laxity, but promised to have the garbage cleared immediately. She, however, noted that unless the people stopped dumping their garbage in the open, things were unlikely to improve.

Parking offenders add to chaos, will be booked

While commuters continue to suffer long hold-ups on the busy Ejipura Main Road, a senior traffic police officer blames the narrow roads in the area for their misery.

“The police tries to manage the traffic on the stretch during peak hours and temporary dividers are being put up for smooth flow of  traffic,” he assured, when informed about the people's complaints in the locality.

Said another traffic officer, "The roads in Koramangala have become narrow due to ongoing work on various projects.  This is leading to traffic pile-upds on the NGV Road and at the Ravi Tent junction during peak hours. Once the elevated corridor and the flyover work is completed, the traffic will be restored to normal."

 Although some believe the Ejipura Main Road is not fit for two-way traffic considering how narrow it is and the number of vehicles that use it, the  police say it cannot be made one-way as there is no other way to get to it. "Commuters need to take a longer route via Sony Signal to reach Ejipura. So the one-way concept will not work here," explained a senior traffic police officer.

As for the parking on the narrow roads in the area, that adds to the congestion, one officer said, “Many people park on the roadside ignoring the no parking signs.  Such offenders are being booked for violations and the traffic police is towing away their vehicles  to ensure they stop blocking the roads.” Unfortunately, the problem of roadside parking is not confined to one or two areas, but is common around the city although 60 per cent of its 15,000 km road network is narrow, note the police, seeming burdened by he city's traffic troubles that only seem to be growing.

‘Garbage piles near roads will be cleared’

What can be done to ease the traffic at the Ravi Tent junction in Ejipura?
A: I will get in touch with the traffic police and make sure there are at least two to three policemen posted at the spot to handle the traffic. I will immediately send a letter to them and ask them to come up with a solution and see if we can extend the divider, place a hump or make a circle at the junction.

BMTC buses stop right after the turning at the Ravi Tent junction, adding to the traffic jam. What can be done to solve this problem?
A: I will discuss this too with the traffic police and take their opinion on moving the bus stop. If they think that locating it a little ahead could be better for the flow of traffic, then we’ll take steps  to do that.

The area has  become a dumping yard for garbage and the BBMP instead of clearing it, has converted it into a segregation point. What do you plan to do about this?
A: I will ask the solid waste management department to clear the area immediately and also make sure that it comes up with a solution to prevent people from dumping garbage in the area. We are also trying to create awareness among the people to stop them from dumping garbage as without their cooperation all our efforts will go in vain. Once the garbage is cleared, pedestrians will not have a hard time here.

 I will get in touch with the traffic police and make sure there are at least two to three policemen posted at the spot to handle the traffic. Mayor gangambike