Bus-route deviation remains a concern for Yelahanka residents

Sanjay R Murty | NT
Bengaluru:

The Yelahanka Satellite Town ward, situated in the northern part of the city, is part of the BBMP’s Yelahanka Zone and falls under the Yelahanka Assembly Constituency. Ward No. 5 includes Judicial Layout (north of GKVK Campus), Allalasandra Village and Chikkabommasandra. A major portion of Yelahanka Satellite Town, which lies to the south of Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan Road (New Town Main Road), comes under Ward No.5. The ward also includes parts of the Rail Wheel Factory campus and residential complex.

Yelahanka Satellite Town is a planned locality which was initiated by the Karnataka Housing Board. It has now developed into a prime residential and commercial hub with plenty of educational institutions. The Satellite town has a characteristic semi-circular layout with the Doddaballapur Road forming its diameter.

Many major arteries of the area are being white topped, with work completed on several stretches. However, the delay in white-topping of important stretches of the area has irked residents. BMTC buses passing through this ward would turn from the main road at Dairy Cross, enter the Satellite Town Bus stand and then proceed towards Chikkabommasandra stop and Seshadripuram College before reaching Doddaballapur Road and NES junction.

Since the white-topping has begun, buses do not enter the semi-circular road but proceed directly towards Doddaballapur Road from Dairy Cross. This has affected the residents of Chikkabommasandra the most. The locality consists of low-income families dependent on buses for transportation. Students of the pre-university and degree colleges located in the Satellite Town are also affected by the deviation.

“To catch a bus, we have to walk to Dairy Cross or NES junction, which are both over a kilometre away from my home. I work in RT Nagar and take BMTC buses every day. The whitetopped roads look very good but they should have completed this stretch on priority as it is a bus route,” said Rajesh, a resident of Chikkabommasandra.

Chikkabommasandra's roads are in stark contrast from those in Yelahanka Satellite Town. The roadside drains in the area also need to be cleared of debris, weeds and other obstructions. Chikkabommasandra’s BBMP Community Hall wears a deserted look. The glass on its windows are broken and not replaced. Following incessant rains, the upper portions of its walls are dripping-wet. Garbage is also thrown next to it.

Flyover work

Work on a new flyover between Yelahanka Police Station and BWSSB junction started off early this year. The flyover work has reduced the available road width, leading to slowmoving traffic near NES junction. The junction sees many commuters alight and change bus routes.

Earlier, buses would stop at well-planned multiple bus stops that are each situated at an angle to the main road. This avoided traffic blockage and also gave more time to drivers to stop and let people alight slowly. However, this has now been stopped due to the flyover construction.

Allalasandra Village too has its share of problems. The main issue here is waste disposal and drainage. The shoulder drains and sidewalks here need immediate attention. The Allalasandra Lake is a well-maintained lake situated between Allalasandra Village and Yelahanka Satellite Town.

Judicial Layout is located in between Bellary Road (Devanahalli Airport Road) and the University of Agricultural Sciences (or GKVK) Campus. It is a well-maintained area with excellent roads and footpaths. However, one needs to drive through an underpass to reach the layout.

The underpass, which runs below a railway line, is waterlogged after rains. Sometimes, water stays on one side of the road even after two days as the water outlets are not clean. Heaps of garbage are seen on the road leading to Judicial Layout, before the underpass. The roads of the layout that lie next to the railway line are also prone to garbage black spots.