A day subsequent to the Bengaluru bandh, which resulted in the rare sight of traffic-free roads on Tuesday, the city reverted to its typical bustling state, experiencing significant traffic congestion across various sectors on Wednesday.
The notorious Outer Ring Road (ORR) stretch and its adjacent vicinities, comprising major technological parks and approximately 10 lakh IT professionals, witnessed an unprecedented surge in vehicular traffic on Wednesday, causing considerable frustration among the city's commuters.
As elucidated by the Bengaluru traffic police department, an amalgamation of factors contributed to the congestion woes in the region. The traffic volume on Wednesday was twice the usual daily influx. Typically, on a standard Wednesday, the vehicle count ranges from 1.5 lakh to 2 lakh. However, on September 27, the tally skyrocketed to an astonishing 3.5 lakh by 7:30 pm.
The traffic authorities attributed this surge to the aftermath of the previous day's bandh, as a substantial number of employees chose to attend work on Wednesday and subsequently attempted to depart from their workplaces during the evening rush hour, thereby exacerbating the traffic situation.
Another notable factor exacerbating the traffic gridlock is the impending long weekend. With Thursday earmarked for Id-Milad, followed by a Karnataka bandh on Friday, and the ensuing Saturday and Sunday constituting the typical weekend, coupled with the observance of Gandhi Jayanti on Monday as a public holiday, the traffic police department noted that numerous residents residing in the vicinity of ORR and its surroundings opted to exit Bengaluru via the same route, resulting in sluggish vehicular movement.
Moreover, intermittent rainfall led to waterlogging on several inner roads, while multiple vehicle breakdowns between 3:30 pm and 5 pm were also documented, further compounding the traffic snarls.
