Netizens dare PM to take ‘Hebbal Flyover Challenge’

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: PM Modi inaugurated Terminal 2 of Kempegowda International Airport today, built at a cost of around Rs 5000 crore. The terminal is expected to double the passenger handling capacity of the airport to 5–6 crore passengers per year, up from the current capacity of about 2.5 crores.

However, activists in the city slammed the city’s poorly built infrastructure that does not support commuting to the airport, increasing the travel time to up to two hours just to reach the premises. “Bengaluru Airport Terminal 2 looks just wow.

Broken roads only, no metro to the now 5000 crore airport. No political (party) exists in the city. The Prime Minister needs to take a drive around the city,” said Anjali, a resident. A lot of netizens asked the PM to take the ‘Hebbal Flyover Challenge’ and travel through the only elevated corridor that connects the city to the airport.

Hebbal replaced Silk Board as the worst traffic congestion point in the entire Bengaluru post-pandemic. Srinivas Alavilli, a public transport enthusiast among other things, took to Twitter to explain why the flyover is always congested. “How did Hebbal become a nightmare? Construction of the new airport started in 2005.

Airport opened in 2008. No matter where you live in Bengaluru, Sarjapur Road or Jayanagar you have to go through Hebbal to get there. That’s just bad design,” he said. “The obsession with flyovers and the mega contracts cost us big time. The last 15 years clearly shows that prioritising cars over other modes of transport is deadly.

Not many know that there is a railway line almost parallel to the elevated expressway,” he added. He also pointed to an alternative road that was being promoted due to the PM’s visit and questioned, “Isn’t it prudent to encourage more commuters to use this road to relieve pressure on Hebbal? Why is it seen as a backup instead of a main route to the airport?”

“Bengaluru Traffic police to close the elevated corridor connecting the city to the airport for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit. The PM is taking a chopper from the city to the airport. What’s the logic behind closing down the flyover?,” questioned Kamran, a citizen activist.