BMTC Bus Breakdown Causes Massive Hours-Long Traffic Jam on Bengaluru's Outer Ring Road

A single BMTC bus breakdown triggered a massive traffic jam across Bengaluru's Outer Ring Road on Tuesday afternoon (Oct 14). The incident near Ecospace Junction caused traffic congestion stretching several kilometers, affecting multiple areas.

Bengaluru Traffic Police issued an advisory at 4:43 pm IST on X (formerly Twitter) stating: "Traffic advisory: Due to vehicle breakdown near the Eco space junction towards Marathahalli, Kadubeesanahalli, Devarabisanahalli, Bellandur is having slow-moving traffic." The message was also shared in Kannada for local residents.

Frustrated commuters took to social media to document the extensive gridlock. One resident reported taking 1 hour and 40 minutes to travel just 10 km on the ORR. Another commuter described their journey as "pathetic traffic..it took 2 hours 10 mins from Brookfield to Sarjapur road, 12 kms."

Social media reactions highlighted residents' growing frustration with the city's transportation infrastructure. "One bus stopped on a road made whole Bengaluru cry for hours," noted one user. Another described it as "the worst traffic today, from Bagmane Mahadevapura to Brookfield atleast in the last 3 years."

One commuter succinctly expressed the sentiment shared by many: "10 kms. 1hr 40 minutes on ORR. Unliveable city. Needs some serious intervention."

The latest incident compounds existing traffic challenges on the ORR. Just last week, Bengaluru traffic police issued an advisory about a 45-day road closure on the ORR between 9th Main Road Junction and 5th Main Road Junction due to ongoing BMRCL metro station construction.

Bengaluru's traffic problems stem from several factors. The city has experienced dramatic population growth fueled by rapid urbanization and a thriving IT industry. With over 13 million residents and millions of vehicles navigating its streets daily, the infrastructure struggles to cope. Narrow roads, insufficient public transportation options, and continuous construction projects have further exacerbated these issues.

The situation has drawn criticism from prominent business leaders. Recently, Biocon chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw highlighted Bengaluru's infrastructure challenges by sharing feedback from a Chinese business visitor who questioned the poor road conditions and garbage accumulation. In her social media post, she tagged Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, and IT Minister Priyank Kharge, urging government action to address these fundamental urban problems.