3 hours for 12-km journey? Reddit User Highlights Major Issue of Traffic In Bengaluru

The tale of Bengaluru's traffic is old, but a Reddit user described how it has gotten worse recently, as it took around three hours to cover a distance of 12 kilometres. Bengaluru, the Silicon Valley of India, has been reeling with traffic-related issues, with the situation worsening in the aftermath of the ban on bike taxis.

The ban on bike taxi services across Karnataka came into effect from June 16 after the Karnataka High Court refused to stay the state government's order. Earlier, the state's Transport Department stated that two-wheelers being used for commercial passenger transport violate existing regulations.

The ban has become a major cause of concern for daily commuters as it has led to a rise in auto rickshaw refusals and fare hikes. Several commuters have shared their experience on social media platforms, calling it "hopeless".

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In a Reddit post, the user revealed how he spent three hours on a 12-kilometre journey from work.

"Left the office at 6 pm. Got home at 9:15. My house is 12 km away. There was no rain. No protest. No accident. Just Bengaluru being Bengaluru," the user wrote.

"There was no rain. No protest. No accident. Just Bengaluru being... Bengaluru," the user added.

"The bus that usually covers my route didn't show up today. Nothing on Tummoc or Namma BMTC, just silence. Waited a while, then gave up and took a different bus hoping to switch mid-way. That one dropped me somewhere in between, and then began the great auto hunt," the user said.

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The user also mentioned the condition of auto fares. "Not a single driver accepted unless I tipped Rs50+. "Optional tip" is the biggest joke in this city. Meter? LOL. Eventually paid more for an auto than I'd pay for an intercity bus," the user said.

The frustrated user further said that Bengaluru was supposed to be the startup capital of the country - a city full of people building tools to "solve urban problems" and it is assumed that basic commuting would be one of the first things we'd figure out.

"Instead, we've normalised this chaos. We expect it. We pad in delays, carry a backup charger, keep an extra water bottle, mentally prep ourselves for war every time we leave work," the post mentioned.

Bengaluru traffic chaos

TomTom Data, which is a Dutch location technology company, stated that since the ban, congestion levels at 7:00 pm every day are higher as compared to usual levels, Money Control reported.

The congestion rose to 77 per cent, up from the usual 59 per cent, on June 16, the report said, further adding that the same trend continued even since.