'90 Minutes For 3 Km': Bengaluru-Based Founder Walks Home After Traffic Nightmare

A Bengaluru-based techie has vented his frustration after spending 90 minutes in traffic to cover a three-kilometre stretch. In an Instagram video titled, "The hidden cost of building a business in India, especially Bangalore," the founder named Soveek Ray questioned how businesses were supposed to operate in the city, regarded as the tech capital of India, if the conditions were so dire.

Describing the traffic snarl as 'unbelievable,' Ray said he decided to walk back home after growing tired of waiting. Even then, the road was in shabby condition, adding to his frustration.

"As founders, we deal with a lot of things, but this is something no one prepares you for. We were supposed to drive to a store in Vartur, drop off a few products, and come back. A 10-20 minute job. Instead, we spent 1.5 hours trying to cross a three-kilometre stretch. Unbelievable," Ray said.

"Eventually, we had to leave the car at the store and walk back all the way back to our home. Just look at the roads. There's barely anything that resembles a road. How are businesses supposed to operate like this?"

Ray, who has lived in Bengaluru for 10 years, said he was not the only one suffering, as delivery partners, retailers, and other businesses had to go through the same ordeal.

"How can delivery partners, retailers, employees, and customers deal with this every single day, man? Before anyone starts complaining and saying we should leave Bangalore and go back to where we come from, let me tell you, U have been here for the last 10 years."

Ray advised Bengaluru's politicians to start doing better and care about the city, as despite the challenges, people like him were still bullish on the place.

Check The Viral Post Here:

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A post shared by Souveek Ray (@souveek.builds)

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'I Was There'

As the post gained traction, social media users highlighted that the stretch mentioned by Ray had been in decline for a long time, prompting some residents to leave the city.

"I have lived here for 1.5 years now, and I can totally relate to this. Stepping out feels so dreadful," said one user, while another added: "I was there yesterday itself took me 3.5 hours to cover 10 km."

A third commented: "I could not bear it more, so I left the city after 15 years. Good city for weather, but equally worse for daily commute, where distance is measured by time. Good luck to people who are still living there for good weather."

A fourth said: "I was part of this. Jam was caused by vehicles piling up in the opposite lane, and some bottlenecks added to it. All lack lane discipline. Simple rule to follow, but no one does."