Bengaluru commuters were in for a rude shock on Monday morning as the new loop at Hebbal flyover was inaugurated and traffic came to a grinding halt. BJP MP Tejasvi Surya, who was heading to Delhi to attend Parliament, took to X (formerly Twitter) to vent his frustration.
“Hebbal Road was a nightmare this morning. I was on my way to Delhi this morning to attend Parliament and was stuck at Hebbal Junction for almost 50 minutes along with thousands of people and almost missed my flight. All because the state government chose a Monday morning peak hours as the right time for the flyover inauguration program,” Surya wrote.
He added, “We had a long weekend just behind us – they could have easily picked a time with minimal disruption. But the last thing ever considered is the comfort of commuters. Neither in project design nor in inauguration planning is the public kept in mind. It’s always for the politicians, by the politicians.”
New Loop to Relieve Congestion
The 700-metre loop at the Hebbal flyover was inaugurated on August 18 by Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar. Designed by the Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA), the loop is meant to ease traffic for vehicles coming from K.R. Puram and Nagawara towards the city centre and also for those coming from the airport and Yelahanka. Officials say it will save commuters three to five minutes.
An earlier version of the loop existed but it was too narrow and vehicles from K.R. Puram and airport had to merge slowly causing heavy congestion. The new structure will streamline movement towards Mehkri Circle and BEL Circle and reduce bottlenecks for those heading to Kodigehalli.
Commuter Discomfort Sparks Debate
Despite the long term benefits of the project, the timing of the inauguration drew flak. With the ceremony scheduled during peak Monday morning hours, thousands of commuters were left stranded in long traffic jams. The incident has once again raised the debate on how public convenience is always ignored in planning and political events.