Bengaluru’s traffic congestion is said to be the worst in India, and rains and the arrival of 23 leaders for Kumaraswamy’s oath-taking ceremony made 23 May a particularly chaotic day.
Bengaluru: The traffic row involving West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee last week has stirred reflection in India’s IT haven on how to ease its notorious gridlocks.
Mamata, in the city to attend the grand opposition show of strength that was the swearing-in of JD(S) chief H.D. Kumaraswamy as Karnataka chief minister, walked around half a kilometre to the Vidhana Soudha after a gridlock brought her convoy to a halt.
While the city’s traffic congestion problem is said to be among the worst in India, worse even than Delhi’s, on any given day, rain and the arrival of 23 leaders for the oath-taking ceremony made 23 May a particularly chaotic day for Bengaluru’s roads.
Talking to ThePrint, M.A. Saleem, the commissioner for road safety and traffic, accepted that there was a need to work out a better way of easing traffic in Bengaluru. However, he also sought to point out why the city’s traffic problem had a “larger-than-life image” compared to that of other cities.
“The number of vehicles on the roads of Mumbai is a little over 25 lakh and in Delhi over 30 lakh. But Bengaluru has over 70 lakh vehicles on the roads and, on a rainy day, the number somehow shoots up,” he said.
The official, however, declined to answer whether last week’s VIP convoy incident could have been avoided.
VIP woes
Kumaraswamy’s oath-taking ceremony was followed by images of Karnataka director general of police Neelamani Raju, the first woman in the state to hold the post, being reprimanded by Mamata on the grand steps of the Vidhana Soudha.
The trigger was the gridlock that halted her convoy, along with those of others, around 500 metres from the Vidhana Soudha, threatening to delay her arrival for the ceremony.
Police in the city were on their toes that day, trying to regulate traffic amid the rain while also ensuring smooth passage for the 18 convoys of the opposition leaders, including SPG-protectees Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, as well as chief ministers and former chief ministers.
Also on the way to the state assembly was governor Vajubhai Vala, who, in keeping with protocol, had to be given priority for passage, with the Gandhis next on the list. A VIP corridor was ready to take the state guests to the venue of the ceremony by 3.45 pm, 45 minutes before it was to start.
An internal home department report has described the build-up of the chaos. According to officials who didn’t wish to be identified, as soon as the convoys of Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and Mamata reached close to Chalukya circle, about a kilometre from the Vidhana Soudha, police received information that Sonia and Rahul’s convoy had left for the venue too, with a gridlock situation emerging.
“There was no information that the governor’s convoy was leaving at the same time… It was scheduled to leave the Raj Bhavan only at 4.15 pm. He was expected to arrive at 4.30 pm. But the convoy of the Delhi and West Bengal chief ministers reached Chalukya junction round 3.55 pm. At that time, there was a traffic gridlock and there was no way the vehicles could even turn and find an alternative route,” an official said.
Traffic police were trying to ensure their smooth passage when information arrived that former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati’s convoy was also was caught in a traffic jam. The cars inched towards Chalukya circle and traffic movement was soon severely restricted with the arterial routes blocked as well.
At this point, Mamata was told by accompanying officials that the path for her vehicle would be cleared in a few minutes. She, however, decided to get off and walk the remaining distance.
“The officers who were with her followed her… She rushed towards the venue as she felt she would be late for the ceremony. She had arrived a day earlier and did not want to be late. Delhi CM Kejriwal, too, took a cue and walked his way to the Vidhana Soudha,” an official said.
When Didi got miffed
By the time she reached the venue, it was quite evident that Mamata was annoyed at how traffic police had allegedly botched up, and she reportedly gave DGP Neelamani an earful at the Vidhana Soudha.
However, government officials told ThePrint that Mamata calmed down when the circumstances of the gridlock were explained to her. “After the swearing-in ceremony, madam Mamata was very nice to us. She left with a smile and we were certainly relieved,” said an official.
Speaking to the media later, the DGP said the episode could have been avoided. “It should not have happened; it was because of the rains and so many convoys coming together, that there was a problem. I have asked the commissioner of police to give an explanation of the incident.”
Meanwhile, contrary to reports, Neelamani is not being transferred over the row.