“Please Let the City Breathe”: Bengaluru Commuter Speaks Out on ORR Traffic, Roads and Lane Discipline

Bengaluru residents face worsening traffic and poor roads on the ORR. A citizen urges the government to improve lane discipline, restore bus lanes, and deploy more cops, saying, “Please let the city breathe.” Social media reacts strongly to the plea.

Bengaluru, often celebrated as India’s Silicon Valley, is increasingly becoming a city of frustration for its own residents. In an emotional Citizen’s Report that has struck a chord on social media, a lifelong Bengalurean has poured out deep anguish over worsening traffic, crumbling roads, poor lane discipline and what they describe as a lack of urgent government intervention, particularly along the Outer Ring Road (ORR) stretch.

The post, written from the perspective of someone who has lived in Bengaluru all their life, reflects a growing sentiment among commuters who feel overwhelmed, exhausted and helpless while navigating one of the city’s busiest corridors, from Silk Board to Mahadevpura.

Please Do Not Make Me Hate This City

“Bengaluru is my city. I love it,” the citizen wrote, before adding that the past few years have made everyday travel unbearable. Despite trying every possible mode of transport, including office cabs, buses, multiple Metro connections, personal cars and bikes, the experience remains the same: gridlocked traffic, unsafe roads and chaos on ORR.

Travelling at least twice a week along the Silk Board–Mahadevpura stretch, the commuter said the situation has reached a breaking point, with even short journeys turning into emotionally draining experiences.

Lack of Lane Discipline and Poor Road Conditions

According to the citizen, one of the biggest contributors to ORR congestion is terrible lane management. Frequent lane switching by buses and cab drivers creates sudden choke points, worsening traffic exponentially.

Adding to the danger are badly patched roads and uneven surfaces. For two-wheeler riders, the risk is even higher.

“There are so many chances of me just skidding and falling into this mess of traffic, which could turn fatal very easily,” the post reads.

Call to Bring Back Dedicated Bus Lanes

The citizen has strongly urged authorities to bring back dedicated bus lanes on ORR, insisting that all heavy-duty vehicles, including private buses, lorries and public transport buses, be restricted to these lanes.

According to them, this would not only ease congestion but also significantly improve safety for smaller vehicles.

Demand for More Traffic Police and Enforcement

Another major concern raised is the lack of consistent traffic policing. 

The commuter has called for:

• More traffic cops on ORR daily, not just during peak hours
• Deployment at known choke points such as Mahadevpura Bridge, Marathahalli Bridge, Ecospace, Sarjapur Road junction towards HSR, and several stretches towards KR Puram
• Increased patrolling by Hoysala vehicles during peak hours

The user argued that visible policing would improve behaviour and discipline among drivers.

Lane Discipline Can Fix 50 Percent of the Problem

Reiterating the importance of lane discipline, the citizen stressed that this is the easiest and quickest issue to address.

Over-the-top solutions suggested include:

• Strict policing
• Cameras that fine rash drivers
• A dedicated accident hotline to prevent on-road arguments

Minor accidents and road rage incidents, they said, often turn into fresh choke points due to the absence of immediate intervention.

A Breaking Point on ORR

Describing a particularly distressing commute, the citizen recalled being stuck near Bommanahalli, close to a bus stop where Tamil Nadu and Kerala buses halt.

“I just felt like getting off my bike, going next to the cop, sitting down, and crying,” the post said.

The emotional question that followed resonated widely online: “What is happening to my city? Why has it gotten so terrible?”

Citizens Say Government Must Do More

While acknowledging that citizens also have a role to play, the writer made a direct appeal to the government to step up.

“We pay 30 percent of our money to the government for a reason. Four months a year for a reason. If I can get peace of mind to travel on ORR peacefully for even four months in a year, I’ll take it.”

The post ended with a powerful plea: “Please let the city breathe. Please let us breathe.”

How Did Social Media React?

The post triggered strong reactions from fellow Bengalureans, many of whom echoed similar frustrations.

One user commented: “Until metro starts , it will be same problem and after metro starts you will see more crowd in metro also .”

Second user commented: “The only thing that will save this city is mass protests. None of these politicians are working for us. Every mla mp contractor is just filling his pockets.”

Third user commented: “Don't forget powercuts. I'm currently waiting for 3+ hours in the middle of a workday for the power to come back. They do maintenance work in the middle of day randomly. And despite all this maintenance there's 10-30 mins powercut every day atleast once.”