Wrong-side riding a daily menace as Ejipura flyover construction drags on in Bengaluru | Bengaluru News
Bengaluru: Wrong-side riding has become a dangerous trend and daily menace near Kendriya Sadan in Koramangala, largely thanks to the long-stalled Ejipura flyover project. The incomplete flyover — pending for almost a decade — has narrowed the road space, forcing two-wheeler riders to flout traffic norms to escape congestion.People travelling towards Sarjapur from St John’s Hospital road say wrong-side riding has become a routine affair as the flyover project has left roads severely narrowed and often blocked by construction debris. While two-wheeler riders admit to taking shortcuts to save time and avoid congested signals, several commuters also allege that traffic cops are either indifferent or too distracted to take action consistently.Ripon Roy, a security guard at Indian Institute of Astrophysics, said the situation has remained unchanged for years. “The left side (of the road) is almost always congested, so two-wheelers often resort to riding on the wrong side to avoid the jam. There’s also a curve nearby, which makes the area particularly prone to accidents.” Shivakumar C, a security supervisor, added that leftover construction debris frequently blocks one side of the road. “Bike riders tend to take the wrong route. Traffic police rarely take action — fines are imposed occasionally, but it’s not consistent. For us, this has become a common sight.”Prakash, who commutes to Koramangala, said, “The situation has been the same since the flyover work started. I’ve seen multiple people almost getting hit by vehicles, that too on the wrong side. I was almost hit by a bike.”The mother of two school-going kids said, “Look at the stretch, it looks like it can’t be used, and no one knows when this work is going to be completed. Because of the lack of footpaths, we end up walking on the road, and vehicles taking wrong side have almost hit pedestrians on multiple occasions. I often come to pick up and drop my kids, even though they can come on their own, as this road seems dangerous.”Manu Kapoor, an IT professional, said, “Most commuters follow the law, and it infuriates them when people break the rules and don’t get punished. Police are sometimes helpless spectators, and most of the time, they don’t care. During peak hours, you see plenty of violations.”Cops at Madiwala traffic police station acknowledged the problem and said, “Because of construction work and bad road conditions, traffic jams have become normal there. Losing patience, people tend to take the wrong turn to escape traffic. We are trying to curb this as much as we can.”(With inputs from Prilesha Pisupati)
