HMT Bhavan bus stop emerges as new traffic choke point after Bengaluru’s Hebbal flyover

Bengaluru's HMT Bhavan bus stop becomes a new traffic bottleneck, prompting calls for its relocation to ease congestion.

As traffic congestion shifts from the Hebbal flyover to Mehkri Circle in north Bengaluru, a new congestion point has emerged near the HMT Bhavan bus stop on Ballari Road, increasing commute times, documents accessed by The Hindu reveal.

In a letter addressed to the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), the Bengaluru Traffic Police (BTP) has urged civic officials to relocate the HMT Bhavan bus stop to a point 100 metres behind the current location where the road width is comparatively wider.

Although the BTP has written twice to the GBA over the past five months seeking the relocation, the civic authority is yet to initiate any action.

The HMT Bhavan bus stop is located about 400 metres from the down ramp near Sanjay Nagar Cross Road. The distance usually takes less than a minute to cover. However, during peak hours, the same stretch now takes about three minutes.

Compounding the problem, traffic from Binny Mill Road and Tarabalu Road also feeds into Ballari Road, causing the congestion at Mehkri Circle to lengthen and further slow traffic. As a result, police say a 900-metre stretch from the down ramp near Sanjay Nagar Road to Mehkri Circle takes about six to 10 minutes to cross, depending on the time of the day.

A senior police officer told The Hindu that since the opening of the new Hebbal flyover loop for inbound city traffic, congestion has eased on the flyover but shifted to Mehkri Circle owing to faster vehicle movement.