For students commuting to Bangalore University, the stretch from Nagarabhavi to Mysore Road is a nightmare.
Not only is the road filled with potholes, there are hardly any streetlights on the stretch. Although BBMP officials had promised the university authorities to get it repaired, no work has been taken up yet. This means more suffering for students and residents.
“What is the university or the civic authorities doing?” said S Ravi, a painting contractor, who lives near Gate No. 2 of the university.
“Thousands of students come to the university every day. This is not one of the smaller stretches that are easily neglected, but a main road that connects Nagarabhavi to Mysore Road. Why are authorities so lethargic?” he said.
He said there are many potholes on this road and it is impossible to avoid them. In trying to edge through the little space between potholes, not only do motorists run the risk of crashing into other vehicles but sometimes, they even lose balance and fall.
“Imagine a biker falling and coming under a bus! Are authorities waiting for something like this to happen so they can be moved to take action?” he said.
During the day, they can avoid the potholes but at night, this is impossible. There are no streetlights at all for about 2.5 km of the road, he said.
“If the road is dangerous for vehicle users during the day, at night it is dangerous for everyone. Women cannot walk on the road alone,” he said. Even as civic authorities harped on following lane discipline, Ravi said in this case, motorists do not have this option.
“The stretch from Nagarabhavi to Mysore Road is much worse than the stretch from Mysore Road to Nagarabhavi. Considering this, to avoid the potholes, the vehicle users travel on the wrong lane,” he said, admitting that he himself had done this a number of times.
This obviously increases the chances of accidents.
“The possibility of an accident is high amid heavy commuting on this potholed road. But when commuters are forced to use the lane for vehicles coming from the opposite direction, the situation will get out of hand when vehicles swerve to avoid potholes,” he said.
Whose responsibility?
K Umesh Shetti, councillor for Nagarabhavi ward number 128, said: “The road does not come in my ward, but in ward number 129. The stretch at the entrance to Nagarabhavi is fine as it comes in my ward. Nevertheless, I understand that this road cannot be repaired by the BBMP because it belongs to the university and they have adequate funds to repair the road themselves.”
The councillor for ward number 129, Govindaraju, was not available for comment as he was out of station.
“Although we don’t have to repair the road since it belongs to BU, we have taken it up after a request from the vice-chancellor. The road inspection work has been done and we will begin work on Monday,” said Ramesh, his assistant.
If the work does not start this Monday (today), it will definitely start next Monday, he said.
Comments: 2