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The video spread quickly online, sparking outrage and disbelief. Many residents said the clip captured what statistics and reports often fail to convey about dignity and comfort.
Citizens argue that while the city has been aggressively promoted under initiatives such as Brand Bengaluru and Greater Bengaluru, basic mobility continues to decline. Image: Canva
Bengaluru’s long-running traffic crisis has once again grown from a local frustration to a global embarrassment. An incident on the outskirts of the city, now viral on social media, has reignited public anger over overcrowding and residents say it has crossed the line from inconvenience to insult.
For years, traffic has been Bengaluru’s most serious civic wound. Weekends, long holidays and even normal weekdays regularly turn major corridors into parking lots. Although promises of solutions are made from time to time with regularity, the reality of living on the street remains unchanged, and increasingly volatile.
A viral moment from the highway
The latest incident came on Sunday, when traffic came to a complete standstill on the Chandapura-Bommasandra section. Vehicles remained stranded for hours in the afternoon sun, with no clear communication or relief in sight. In a moment of frustration, a traveler was filmed urinating on the highway, unable to leave his vehicle or wait any longer.
The video spread quickly online, sparking outrage and disbelief. Many residents said the clip revealed what statistics and reports often fail to convey: how chronic overcrowding robs people of their dignity and basic amenities.
Why does this strain keep suffocating?
Commuters and local residents blamed ongoing and slow road work for the standoff, pointing fingers at both the government and the National Highway Authority. The Chandapura-Bommasandra corridor, a vital link between Bengaluru and its industrial and residential outskirts, has become notorious for partial closures, diversions and bottlenecks caused by incomplete infrastructure.
According to Anupama Shetty, who travels on this stretch daily, delays are now measured not in minutes but in hours. Emergency vehicles, office commuters, goods transport, and families traveling out of town are all equally stranded.
Prashant Naik, another passenger, explains, “What if a diabetic is stuck in hours-long traffic or anyone with any kind of health problem. The recent incident shows the raw reality that everyone knows but chooses to ignore.”
Brand Bengaluru vs ground reality
This incident has further sharpened an old contradiction. Bengaluru bills itself as a global technology hub, home to multinational companies, world-class hospitals and innovation ecosystem. Yet its streets regularly tell a different story.
Citizens argue that while the city has been aggressively promoted under initiatives such as Brand Bengaluru and Greater Bengaluru, basic mobility continues to decline. Many now say that traffic congestion is doing more harm to the city’s reputation than potholes or garbage.
Many residents told News18 Kannada that being ranked among the most congested cities in the world is not just a statistic, but a daily humiliation. He called for faster implementation of road projects and realistic planning instead of headline-based announcements.
Political tussle over solution
Union Minister V. Somanna, speaking on the issue, criticized the state government’s approach towards traffic management. He remarked that Bengaluru’s popularity and continuous influx of people demands serious long-term planning, not temporary solutions.
Somanna dismissed proposals such as limited tunnel roads as inadequate, arguing that building a few kilometers of underground infrastructure in isolated areas would not solve the citywide crisis. Instead, he advocated the development of suburbs and satellite cities to decentralize population pressure and reduce daily traffic flow in the city core.
A crisis that refuses to move forward
As Bengaluru continues to expand outwards and upwards, its traffic crisis remains stuck in place. The viral incident may disappear from the timeline, but the anger it sparked is unlikely to fade away any time soon.
For a city that prides itself on being future-ready, the question its residents keep asking is a simple one: How long can a global city last before the costs become irreversible?
Report: Adur Chandru, News18 Kannada, Anekal
January 27, 2026, 12:33 IST
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