Traffic is one of the biggest problems Bengalureans face today. People spend a large amount of time and money just commuting from their place of work to their homes. To bypass traffic, people usually take detours and shortcuts into small lanes or bylanes, but localites have found faster ways to reach their destinations — by taking the longer route!
A number of people based in the city have realised that taking the longer route is actually faster these days! “My college is in Koramangala and I live in Sanjaynagar, so commute is a huge hassle. And since I drive to college, it’s even more frustrating.
There are huge jams at places like Mekhri circle and in front of the Forum Mall and I used to spend around five hours only on commute everyday. I took a wrong turn once and instead of using the Ring Road, landed up on the 80 feet road where the traffic was drastically less.
And then instead of going to Sanjaynagar through the Palace Road, from MG Road, I go through Commercial Street and then reach Jaymahal and reach Sanjaynagar in a much lesser time! Though the distance is a lot, it has cut my travel time by almost half an hour!” says Aastha Khema, a student.
Since most schools, colleges and offices are located in prime areas, traffic jams are almost inevitable. “I have to travel to Deepanjali Nagar all the way from my office at Indiranagar, everyday. Although MG Road might seem like a better option, a rickshaw driver once told me that I could take the Mysore Road Flyover instead. I did, and I reached much earlier than I used to” says Santosh, a software engineer.
Though the shorter routes are accessible, the terrible condition of the roads also leads to congestions all over the city. “I live in Frazer town and work in Jayanagar, so Double Road does seem like the better option for me but every time I have had to use that road, I have been stuck in a jam for over two hours.
And the condition of the roads is so that vehicles have even broken down because of the huge potholes that haven’t been filled right in the centre of the road. And when it rains, I know I won’t reach home before 9 pm even if I leave early. Instead, I take the longer route and travel through Town Hall, Mysore bank, and reach Vasanthnagar from where the traffic is much calmer and save around 20 minutes travelling both ways,” says Soumya Bhasin, a graphic designer.
