Bellary road: A pile of problems

The Bangalore International Airport (BIA) witnesses an overall passenger traffic of approximately 11.59 million per year. Naturally, the road to the BIA is expected to be smooth and clean given the number of people who use it everyday. But Bellary Road, which handles a very significant number of the traffic that the airport receives everyday seems to be have no resolve to achieve that.The problems that torment Bellary Road are multitudinous but action by the authorities, none. Be it open drains, an abrupt change in bus stops or garbage disposed with disregard, commuters say it is high time they saw a change.What’s open stays openThe drains through the entire stretch of the Bellary Road from the Mekhri Circle bus stop to the Hebbal flyover has been left open for the last few years. Authorities seem to have conveniently forgotten that walking too is a mode of transport in the city.While the backlash of the open drains doesn’t affect the commuters, the pedestrians are put under severe misery. The long walk has to be undertaken amidst the unbearable stench and the many missing pavement blocks. Rahul, a pedestrian, remarked, “I need to walk the length of the road in order to reach Gangenahalli everyday. It is such an adventure to walk through the offensive smell as it can be felt from metres away.Walking on the road is not a choice, due to the heavy flow of oncoming vehicles.” The worst of it is seen when the city sees a heavy downpour.The water surges onto the road leaving a scene of clutter everywhere. The absence of streetlights also doesn’t help the cause.Disposal of debrisMost of the residential waste has been disposed near a footpath. In a few places, the garbage spills into the drain worsening matters multifold.Flies and other scavengers are a common sight in and around the garbage tormenting people of the plausible health hazards.BMTC decides to switch bus standsA decision to change the location of the bus stands on either sides of the road was taken recently by the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC).The abrupt change has left people in a major dilemma.They didn’t know where to get off a bus or where they could catch one. Also, the absence of a shelter on one side of the road has left people bearing the brunt of the afternoon sun.A passenger, Alok, remarked, “I had to wait at around 12 o’clock in the afternoon for almost an hour with no place to sit or rest.It takes a toll on you. The BMTC makes decisions for all of us but they do not see the consequences of their actions.’’ Crossing crunchNew pelican signals were installed by the Bangalore City Traffic Police on the road.But the glitch in the plan lies in the fact that one cannot cross the street at any other point other than that at the signals. So one has to walk all the way until the signal in order to cross the street even if it is several metres away.A commuter on the road, Teena, asserted, “Cars are always speeding. The road also sees its share of heavy vehicles. So we cannot cross the lane on any other point but walk all the way. It gets very frustrating at times.” Authorities reactThe local corporator of the area is M S Shivaprasad.He informed that primary drains were not supposed to be closed. “It comes under the major roads department of the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).But the sanction to widen the road has been approved and there is no point in closing the drains as it will be a waste of money and energy.” The traffic police officials were unavailable for comments.