B’luru traffic: Observe rules, stay safe

It’s no easy task being a traffic cop in Bengaluru. And more so when you have to manage a staggering 1.2 crore vehicles of all kinds from Lamborghinis to little mopeds, jostling for space on pothole ridden roads - some just too narrow for the smooth flow of traffic.

With a burgeoning population of 1.4 crore which is sure to rise steeply in the coming years, Bengaluru definitely has a traffic problem to contend with.

Private vehicles and the massive buses take over the roads in the morning and evening peak hours trying their best to avoid crashing into each other as their drivers rush to meet busy schedules.

The essentials of smooth traffic flow like lane driving and modest speed limits are sorrily missing if one were to observe the choc-a-bloc traffic in any Central Business District (CBD) area.

Overtaking on the wrong side at the risk of a deafening collision and sudden braking in front of vehicles, again at the risk of causing an accident, are all too common. As for lane driving, no one seems to know much about it or simply cares a damn as vehicles, big and small, cut lanes with impunity leaving hapless drivers behind red in the face. 

As for lane driving, no one seems to know much about it or simply cares a damn as vehicles, big and small, cut lanes with impunity leaving hapless drivers behind red in the face.

In a bigger city like Delhi, lane driving is an absolute must particularly during the morning and evening hours when the government machinery (read bureaucrats) ‘take to wheels’ to reach their destinations in time.

It is a different story altogether in the IT capital where everyone is trying to get ahead amidst a string of curses from those left behind. Exasperated over the never-ending traffic bottlenecks, Bengaluru Traffic Police now proposes to introduce a new tech-driven traffic management system.

This is expected to provide simulated solutions; for example, if massive traffic congestion occurs at a particular point, the cops can recreate the situation and think of diversions to ease the situation. But this is obviously not enough.

What is most needed are massive awareness campaigns to help instill basic traffic discipline in drivers. This is all the more necessary in educational institutions for one often has to contend with the disturbing sight of 2-3 youngsters-hardly 15 or 16 years old - clutching each other on a bike which may not have a rear number plate (for obvious reasons).

They seem totally oblivious of traffic rules as they zip in wild abandon through the traffic sending a shudder down the spines of motorists. 

With hi-tech cameras at signals and other vantage points capturing every offence, traffic cops can hardly be seen stepping onto the roads to check such unruly behaviour.

Is it blissful ignorance of the troubles they could face if they break traffic rules in this manner which is driving more and more youngsters to make a mockery of the norms endangering the lives of others?

Reports say that in 2023, accidents in Bengaluru touched a 10-year high with 870 fatal road accidents recorded leading to as many as 899 deaths.

The culprits no doubt are rash and negligent driving, drunken driving besides turning a blind eye to the need to observe traffic norms.

Unless traffic enforcement measures including the issuance of challans and the collection of penalties, go hand in hand with traffic safety awareness programmes, a drive on Bengaluru’s roads is sure to get risker in the months and years to come.

Public transport modes like Namma Metro and bus transport which could have taken a lot of pressure off the roads, have their own limitations which will take time to resolve.

Till then, the focus no doubt should be on convincing everyone on the road that your behaviour and driving skills besides adherence to rules are paramount in ensuring a safer Bengaluru.