Bikers, strap yourselves: Flyovers ahead

After poor condition of roads, commuters complain of huge potholes on some of the busiest flyovers in the city, bikers now being forced to take diversions and alternate routes leading to traffic jams on roads

Bikers, strap yourselves: Flyovers ahead

After poor condition of roads, commuters complain of huge potholes on some of the busiest flyovers in the city,u00a0 bikers now being forced to take diversions and alternate routes leading to traffic jams on roads

Bangloreans have spent years complaining about the traffic moving at a snail's pace. Then came flyovers as a relief, but this seems to be short-lived as bikers are now reportedly forced to deal with huge potholes even on flyovers.

When baffled bikers plying on the potholed-Mysore Road flyover complained to their local corporator, all they got in response was another hollow promise.

BBMP workmen repair the Double Road flyover, stalling traffic
during peak hours

But after waiting for months for the BBMP to take action, bikers have now started using diversions and alternate routes that are filled with traffic jams.

"We were already troubled with the roads that have big potholes, as we were getting familiar with them, we are now presented with flyover with huge potholes," said Harish Jain, a resident of Vijayanagar.

Meanwhile, those who take the Double Road flyover, which is one of the city's best connected flyovers are now complaining about potholes on their path too. "I travel by the Double Road flyover at least six times a day.

When I first noticed a small pothole, I immediately complained to the traffic police constable, but what could he do? So we took it up with the BBMP corporator.

However, a month after we noticed the first pothole, today there are at least eight such big potholes on the single stretch of the flyover.
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It is sad that not just the roads, but even the flyovers are now unsafe for bikers," said K R Jagadish, a marketing supervisor at Residency Road.

'Switch roads'
Tired of appealing to the BBMP officials regarding this problem, the traffic police are now advising bikers to stop 'crying over bad roads'. Nagappa, a constable posted at the Double Road flyover, said, "Everyone has to look at the matter practically.
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We have done what we could, apart from writing to the BBMP officials, we also took an initiative to personally fill potholes with mud and stones so that bikers do not face a problem, but now we are advising people to take alternative routes."

Commenting on the Mysore Road flyover, that connects NR Road and Kalasipalyam to Vijayanagar and Kengeri, Aniketh Basu, an advertiser, said, "Roads crack up at the joints and eventually over weeks turn into huge potholes.
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There are plenty of them on this flyover and it is shocking that the BBMP is not looking into the matter, in spite of the city complaining and suffering."

Irked by the inaction of the BBMP officials, Basu further added that when the issue is taken up with the palike
officials, they go into a monologue.

"Instead of narrating the same lines over and over again, they should put up a recorded message so that people realise that nothing is going to be done, " Basu said.

The Other Side
"Work is in progress, we have set a deadline to fill the potholes and this time we will stick to it," said an engineer, working on the Mysore Road flyover.u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0