One kilometre covered in two hours, Bengaluru witnesses massive traffic jams

Bengaluru's Outer Ring Road (ORR) experienced unusual traffic congestion on September 27, leaving many commuters stranded on the roads for nearly four hours. More than 3.5 lakh vehicles choked the ORR on Wednesday, leading to massive traffic congestion, which prompted the Bengaluru Traffic Police to issue an advisory to the IT companies to delay the logouts.

According to the city's traffic police, congestion alerts on a typical Wednesday between Silk Board and Tin Factory on Outer Ring Road remain at 197. However, on September 27, it was a staggering 1,069. Many people took to the social media platform X (previously Twitter) to state the situation. Some people wrote that they were stranded in traffic for nearly four hours, while some wrote that covering just a one-kilometre distance took them over two hours. The ORR is known as the tech corridor of Bengaluru, where many IT companies have their offices located.

Social media posts from the commuters who were stranded in traffic jams and Bengaluru Traffic Police's advisories have revealed that the traffic on ORR on September 27 was twice the normal volume. While Wednesdays generally see a vehicle count of 1.5-2 lakh, it reached 3.59 lakh on Wednesday evening. Adding to the woes were persistent rainfall-induced waterlogging on several interior roads and potholes affecting the smooth traffic flow. Besides that, six vehicle breakdowns took place on ORR in the afternoon, which narrowed the road further increasing the traffic congestion.

The Bengaluru Outer Ring Road was constructed between 1996 and 2002, covering a 60-kilometre stretch encircling a significant portion of the city. It was intended to connect major highways, ensure faster travel and alleviate congestion. However, the proliferation of technology parks and residential complexes on both sides of the ORR has led to challenges.