Driver or walker, Kanakapura Road is a nightmare for all

Speeding, constricted space and poor lighting to blame

Thursday’s fatal accident that claimed the life of six-year-old child prodigy Samanvi Roopesh has put the spotlight on traffic woes on Kanakapura Road in southern Bengaluru.

Heavy traffic on a narrow stretch, coupled with mega construction and infra projects in the vicinity, makes it harder for motorists to navigate the road.

Heavy vehicles like tipper trucks, tractors and concrete mixtures hurtle along the constricted road stretching from Sarakki Junction to NICE Road that runs along JP Nagar, Konanakunte, Kumaraswamy Layout, Doddakallasandra, Gubbalala, Vajarahalli, Banashankari 6th Stage and Talaghattapura.

Residents are worried about commuters’ safety. “This is part of NH 209 and serves as an approach road to other busy thoroughfares, which explains the traffic density. This apart, too many new apartments are getting built besides the metro lines,” said Srivatsa Vajapeyam, member of Changemakers of Kanakapura Road Association.

Schools add to chaos

The stretch is also dotted with several schools that bring their own chaos. “When students come to school, it is dangerous for them,” Srivatsa said. “Traffic jams happen as parents, vehicles and school buses traverse the stretch.”

Streetlights also function inconsistently. “Multiple tweets, letters and interactions with police and BBMP authorities haven’t solved the issues here,” a resident said.

A reality check by DH showed the absence of streetlights from Konanakunte Cross until Talaghattapura despite the installation of electric poles. This meant the stretch is plunged into darkness after 7 pm.

In January 2021, Kumaraswamy Layout traffic police wrote to the BMRCL asking them to provide high-rise pedestrian crossing and rumbler strips at many places on the stretch.

Asked if these letters yielded fruitful results, Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) B R Ravikanthe Gowda said: “We keep writing letters when there are problems. We are going to inspect and check what else should be done on Kanakapura Road and if there are other major problems.”

A life snuffed out

But even with all those measures in place, officials could not say if the accident that claimed Samanvi’s life could have been avoided. Samanvi was riding pillion with her mother, Amrutha Naidu, 34, when a tipper truck struck their scooter near Vajarahalli around 4.30 pm on January 13.

The child’s death sent shockwaves through the city. Samanvi had appeared on the reality show Nannamma Super Star on Colors Kannada channel.

“It wasn’t peak hour and the tipper driver saw a chance to speed, causing the unfortunate accident,” DCP (Traffic, West) Kuldeep Kumar Jain said.

Jain said although HTV vehicles were banned in the city during peak hours, they were allowed during non-peak hours due to construction activities.

He also refuted citizens’ concerns over the lack of enforcement between the KSIT Signal and NICE Road.

“We generally depute officers along the stretch shift-wise. If they have to attend to other important requirements, we at least put a home guard in charge,” he said.

2 officers for 7 signals

Residents and RWAs said only two officers have been deputed to man seven signals. They even partnered with the local police a few months ago to reclaim footpaths in and around Talaghattapura-Vajarahalli.

Though the Talaghattapura police evicted them, footpath vendors were shortly back on business between KSIT Junction and Talaghattapura, forcing residents to walk on the road brimming with traffic.

Unregulated four-wheeler parking on Kanakapura Main Road and haphazard two-wheelers parking further constricted the space for moving vehicles. Stray livestock on the road near Vajarahalli, Talaghattapura, and Raghuvanahalli complicates the situation.