Pathetic patchwork blamed for service road’s treacherous turn

Bengaluru: Namma Metro's Blue Line holds the promise of easing travel on southeast Bengaluru roads. However, while there is no confirmation on when the line will be operationalised, motorists using a 2-km stretch of the service road on Outer Ring Road from Ibblur Junction towards Bellandur Junction say for now, their commutes have become nightmarish owing to Metro work. With many techies negotiating potholes while using this service road to go to work and back, residents say the stretch has become a safety hazard for motorists. Aradhana M, 23, a working professional who drives from Ibblur to Indiranagar every day, said, "We have to leave earlier than usual because potholes slow down traffic. The road was dug up for Metro work nearly six months ago, but wasn't repaired. At night, it's even more dangerous due to poor lighting, making it difficult to see where the road is uneven. During peak hours, when everyone is rushing to work, things get riskier." "No one knows when Metro work will be completed. So, BBMP should come up with a temporary solution," she added. Mohan KG, vice-president of Sobha Garnet Apartments' Welfare Association, said the service road is used heavily, almost like a main carriageway, and yet there has been no proper action to fix it. "Pedestrians face enormous risks. There have even been incidents of people falling and two-wheelers skidding. If they cut the road, they should restore it properly," Mohan said. A senior BBMP official told TOI, "The road was dug up for Metro work and then for relaying sewage and water pipelines, which were over 10 years old. We are filling potholes whenever we receive complaints or ask Metro authorities to do it. That's the only solution we can provide till Metro work is completed." A BMRCL official said they haven't received any information about road damages due to Metro work. "We will send our officials to find the places where potholes have come up because of Metro work and fix them soon," he said quotes Kashinath Prabhu, secretary, Suncity Apartments For the past several months, multiple RWAs have come together from time to time to discuss the issues. We have received numerous complaints about poor road conditions, potholes and increasing dust. We just want to ensure that the road is fixed quickly, improving overall living conditions Jaanaki Karandikar, former member of Acacia Apartment Welfare Association The issue is that when they do patchwork, it doesn't last for more than a few days. The service road is one-way and yet, vehicles come in the wrong direction, making commute even more dangerous. Many residents, especially those living in 13 to 14 apartments in the area, depend on this road daily. We have raised this issue multiple times, but the problem persists. All we ask is that if they dig up the road, they should properly restore it to avoid such inconveniences.