BJP-JDS padayatra throws traffic out of gear on Bengaluru-Mysuru Road

Bengaluru-Mysuru padayatra by BJP and JD(S) causes traffic chaos on highway, affecting commuters for hours.

The Bengaluru-Mysuru padayatra, taken out by the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Janata Dal (Secular) over alleged scams in the State government, kicked off on Saturday (August 3) morning from Kengeri, causing traffic snarls on the Bengaluru-Mysuru highway till late in the evening.

Hundreds of vehicles of workers of the two political parties congregated at NICE Road junction, Kengeri, where the inaugural event was held, throwing normal traffic out of gear.

Motorists coming from Kengeri to NICE Road junction and on the down ramp of the Bengaluru-Mysuru Access Controlled Highway were stuck for hours. Parking of vehicles of political workers on either side of the road only added to the chaos.

Once the march was kicked off, thousands of workers carrying placards shouting slogans marched towards Bidadi on the road below the highway, slowing down vehicle movement. This also affected traffic coming towards the city from Kengeri. Many road users who were coming towards the city from Mysuru were caught in the traffic.

Aslam Khan, a private goods vehicle driver, said it took one hour for him to reach the NICE Road junction from Kengeri police station, which is hardly 2 km apart. There was bumper-to-bumper traffic and chaos around, he said.

“There was traffic disruption between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., primarily in Kumbalgodu when the padayatra started, and vehicles coming towards the city were affected for some time.  However, those who travelled on the expressway were hardly impacted,” a senior police officer said.

“To add to the woes, a few private buses broke down due to slow-moving bumper-to-bumper traffic. Passengers, along with the police, pushed the buses to the roadside to allow other vehicles to pass through. It was a total mess on the road,” said Suresh Kumar, a private firm employee.