‘Traffic in Bengaluru is distressing’: Tejasvi Surya comments on public transport in the IT hub, seeks solution

Tejasvi Surya, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Bengaluru South constituency MP, on Wednesday, criticised the traffic situation in Karnataka's capital and the deplorable condition of the public transport system.

Taking to social media platform X, Tejasvi Surya said, “The traffic scene in Bengaluru is getting more distressing every passing day. Even Sundays, which used to be relatively easier, is becoming as nightmarish as the weekdays [sic].”

The National President of BJP Yuva Morcha alleged that in India's IT hub, adding thousands of new private vehicles to the roads is only exacerbating the problem of traffic congestion.

The Lok Sabha MP added, “Even running errands from neighbourhood stores takes so much time. The city roads, including the small lanes in residential areas, are way beyond their carrying capacity, and there is no space to make more roads.”

Surya posted that the government was not doing enough to reduce the number of private vehicles on the road and increase the number of public transport options.

He said even switching to public transport options is not a suitable alternative, considering the crowded Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) vehicles. Adding to the woes of commuters is the chaos at Metro stations, where even the trains are packed during peak hours, making one feel suffocated, he said.

Tejasvi Surya added, “The high-charging Uber Ola taxis are not reliable and take forever to even turn up at your location. Autorickshaws simply cancel rides on you. Our footpaths are not pedestrian-friendly, and in most places are encroached by hawkers.”

He further pointed out that ‘quality of life is getting worse every day’, underscoring the pathetic condition of the roads across the city, which has potholes and unscientific humps. He asserted, “BBMP and its officials turn a blind eye to all the commercial developments in residential areas, further adding to the traffic density.”

He appealed to the Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka, D K Shivkumar, to call an urgent meeting with the elected representatives and traffic management experts to discuss solutions.