Road Near Chickpete Dug up, Causing Traffic for Commuters

Arcot Srinivasachar (AS Char) Street construction is planned for two months, metro and market commuters suffer.

Bengaluru, Sept. 04, 2018 : AS Char Street near Chickpete metro station has been dug up for the past two months, causing major traffic congestion near the market area. Commuters, pedestrians and shopkeepers are confronting issues in the market.

The road has been dug up because a new entrance is being constructed in front of the metro station, as stated by Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagar Palike (BBMP). Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (BMRCL) has put barricades around the construction site covering half of the road.

Sidiq Saab, a wholesale crockery owner at AS Char Street, said that because of the dug up road, his customers have to take a longer route to reach his shop and he faces difficulty on a regular basis while commuting.

Although two to three traffic policemen have been employed at the road, the traffic congestion remains unaffected.  Susheela, a regular customer at the nearby vegetable market, said that she cannot buy vegetables after 2 or 3 p.m. since the traffic conditions get worse after noon.

There are two entrances at the Chickpete metro station, the third is being constructed parallel to the other two. G. Kuruvila, a town planner, explains that the construction is a good step by the BMRCL officials. But correct maintenance measures should be employed so that the residents and businesses nearby don’t have to suffer.

Furthermore, there is no functioning traffic signal in the vicinity of Chickpete metro station, adding to the congestion, as vehicles rush in from all sides to the market. Chickpete traffic police constable, Sidray NK, said that it is not easy to control the traffic near market. The crowded marketplace creates problems for the officers and citizens.