Bengaluru Traffic Nightmare: Massive Jam On ORR, Marathahalli And Sarjapura; Commuters Facing Long Delays

Bengaluru's bustling tech hub along Outer Ring Road (ORR) experienced an unusual heavy traffic congestion on Wednesday.

In response to the extensive traffic gridlock that unfolded between Outer Ring Road (ORR), Marathahalli, and Sarjapura areas on Wednesday evening, the city's traffic police issued an advisory. They urged employees working in IT and other firms situated within this corridor not to immediately leave their workplaces due to the substantial traffic backlog in the vicinity.

Bengaluru's Deputy Commissioner of Police-West (Traffic) Kuldeep Kumar R Jain, wrote on Twitter (formerly X), "There is a huge traffic pile-up on ORR from Marathahalli to Sarjapur. Please instruct ITBT companies located on ORR not to rush out as there is a massive jam due to invariably high number of vehicles."

Commuters were caught in the lengthy traffic standstill, enduring hours of delays, expressed their frustration with the government's perceived failure to address Bengaluru's persistent traffic challenges. The police clarified that the congestion resulted from a sudden surge in the number of vehicles on the road.

Many users have turned to social media to express their mounting frustrations, with numerous reports of it taking them up to two hours to cover mere meters.

The traffic gridlock has additionally affected fans of the Emmy-winning US comedian Trevor Noah, who is set to deliver a performance in the city at 7:30 PM.

One possible reason for the surge in traffic is that netizens are making plans to leave the city for the upcoming long weekend. This extended break includes holidays for Eid e Milad on September 28 and Gandhi Jayanti on October 2, as well as a Karnataka bandh called by pro-Kannada organisations on September 29.