Issue 7 | 30 Dec. 2006

Parking banned on Marathahalli Road

There maybe no such thing as a paradise for vehicular traffic in most parts of the city, but by any yardstick, the Varthur-HAL road passing through Marathahalli is absolutely a nightmare. A firefighting traffic police has banned parking of vehicles on either side of the road from Doddanakundi Cross to Kundanahalli Gate, as there is virtually no space to widen the existing road. The traffic police are placing boards banning parking of vehicles.

The Varthur-HAL Road is being spruced up by the BDA, but this will not solve the problem of parking. The traffic on this road is getting denser by the day as it is the only road connecting the city. During peak hours, the traffic is very slow moving, and parking of vehicles on either side of the road adds to the existing woes. To make matters worse, many of the shopping complexes have turned a blind eye to the regulations to allow for basement parking. The ongoing construction of the railway over bridge near Marathahalli has also put brakes on the free flow of traffic.

The BDA's road upgradation work is however creating some space for pedestrians which was non existent till now. With Marathahalli emerging as the main commercial hub for shoppers in this part of the city, non-availability of parking space will really inconvenience the public. The problem of traffic can be resolved if the parallel road via Chelgutta becomes a reality. Traffic from ITPL and Hoody can be diverted via Chinnapanahalli to the Outer Ring Road thereby reducing the number of cabs that transport the IT/BPO employees.

The Airport traffic police which mans the areas in and around Outer Ring Road were able to reduce accidents near New Horizon College by erecting road humps, and by diverting heavy traffic, free flow of traffic is being maintained on the Varthur road.

Traffic from Whitefield is growing by the day and with new apartments set to be occupied, the authorities have to find long term solutions. The ban on parking is just a knee jerk reaction and a firm, long term solution is still eluding the police.