On Bengaluru-Nelamangala Highway 48 (NH 48) there has been a heavy load of traffic jams across Bengaluru-Nelamangala as many people leave the city ahead of the Ganesh Chaturthi holiday and the extended weekend. The number of cars is also filling up highways with vehicles, so heavy that commuters are facing severe traffic delays as they are on the road to go home and to holiday destinations.
The traffic situation has deteriorated with the festival holiday and weekend in place, which has resulted in a lot of people leaving Bengaluru at the same time. The traffic has been heavy on NH 48 - one of the busiest highways in Karnataka and there is a constant stream of cars in the area; slow-moving traffic and traffic jams in these places are a big problem.
The worst-hit area is the Kunigal Circle near Nelamangala, where traffic is very slow now. Cars are slowly rolling for several kilometres, and in some places the traffic is so bad that it is completely stopped. The congestion extends for almost four to five kilometres, and drivers are frustrated that they are stuck on the highway for hours at a time, the report says.
The traffic jam has affected private vehicles as well as essential services. Ambulances carrying patients have found themselves stuck in the traffic congestion, and emergency medical transport is expected to suffer delays.
Most of the families are going to their home places to celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi with their relatives, and others are taking advantage of a long weekend to visit tourist places. The concurrent traffic of thousands of vehicles has significantly increased the traffic volume on the Bengaluru-Nelamangala route, leading to one of the busiest travel periods of the season.
Images from the highway show long lines of cars, buses, trucks and two-wheelers that stretch for kilometres. They travelled much longer than usual to get around relatively short distances due to congestion. Many commuters have also taken to social media to offer updates and complain about the delays.
Traffic police officers at key junctions and at busy junctions and congestion-prone areas have been deployed to control the traffic flow and reduce the number of cars at the busiest areas in order to control vehicle movements and minimise any disruption. Traffic police are also working with traffic police to manage traffic in the area, but traffic management is still very much a challenge because of the huge number of vehicles that are there, and traffic is busy.
Bengaluru traffic congestion during festival seasons and long weekends is becoming so prevalent in Bengaluru. As one of India’s biggest cities, with a population of people travelling to different parts of the country, Bengaluru has become a major hub for people who are heading to different parts of Karnataka. Highways leading out of the city are typically plagued by traffic congestion for many people travelling to various districts of Karnataka, especially on big festivals like Ganesh Chaturthi, Deepavali and Dasara.
A few days ahead, people who are planning to travel will have to plan for delays and use alternate routes or travel during non-peak hours. Motorists are advised to follow traffic rules and drive within the prescribed lines, stay in a lane and cooperate with traffic control officials to move through the flow of traffic.
The traffic on NH 48 remains heavy, and the demand is high for holiday travel during the holiday season. As Ganesh Chaturthi is approaching with a lot of people expected to leave the city, traffic authorities are on high alert to deal with this situation and make travel safer for all road users.
Hence, the Bengaluru-Nelamangala highway will be busy during the holidays, and city holiday travel will be very busy; patience and careful planning are key for people who are on their way out of town during the weekend.
