An ordeal on the road

by August 13, 2008 Commute

A citizen's account of the ordeal she had to go through on road to reach the railway station, all in vain.

I was in a miserable state of mind on Independence Day. The traffic nightmare that I was subjected to on the previous evening was the reason.

On 14th August 2008 evening, there was a heavy downpour in Bangalore. My domestic help was to board the Rajdhani to Delhi scheduled to depart at 8.20 PM. We reside at Old Madras Road close to C.V.Raman Nagar. We started at 6.30 PM, a good 2 hours ahead. I cannot explain the nightmare that we went through….

Horror Situations

1. To engage an auto to take us to the station
2. Negotiating a fare which was jacked up to Rs.200
3. Traffic jam at every nook and corner
4. An ambulance stuck in the traffic jam with a patient on board

We reached the station at 8.45 PM ,which I would like to add, was at a supersonic speed, thanks to the skills of the ‘James Bond’ auto rickshaw driver. Well! Of course my domestic help missed the train.

I was shaken up when the ambulance was stuck in traffic and I could see apathy amongst the motorists, except for a few concerned bystanders who tried to ease the traffic.

Is there any way I can contribute, whenever possible, to ease the traffic situation or equip Bangalore to handle a heavy downpour more effectively?⊕

Sections:

About Rajeswari S

Read more by Rajeswari S

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Similar Story

How a citizen-backed feeder bus service in Bengaluru transformed local commute

by March 28, 2026 Commute
HSR Layout’s unique intra-layout feeder bus serves 1.8 lakh commuters monthly — a story of how citizen involvement made public transport better.

43-year-old Saridha from Hongasandra works as housekeeping staff at an apartment complex in HSR Layout, an affluent area in southern Bengaluru. There was a time when her work commute meant a one-hour, 3-km walk from her house to the apartment. And then the same way back after a tiring day's work. Till she came to know of the HSR Feeder bus.  Now, she can take a BMTC bus from her place to Bommanahalli. It's a short 400 metres from there to the Mangammanpalya stop, where she takes the feeder bus, which drops her off right next to where she works.…

Continue reading

Similar Story

,

High transport costs, low support: The daily toll on commuters with disabilities

by and February 23, 2026 Commute
Disabled persons spend thousands monthly on commuting in Chennai and Bengaluru, as inaccessible transport and meagre pensions increase their woes.

TMN Deepak, a professor of social work who has a physical disability, commutes from Velachery to Loyola College in Chennai for work every day. He owns a wheelchair cum scooter that allows him to cover short distances comfortably, but he avoids public transport. “Instead, I have had to go for an automatic car, which has increased my overall spend, and I had to shell out an additional ₹2.5 lakh for modifications,” he says. Deepak's monthly petrol costs exceed ₹6,000. “I prefer not to use the bus because of inaccessibility,” he explains, highlighting how the lack of accessible public transport forces…

Continue reading