Children join their parents in protests against bad roads, traffic jams in Bengaluru

The young protestors were demanding for the widening of Balagere and Panathur Road, which becomes quickly congested during peak traffic hours.

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Citizen-led protests are not new in the city. However, when over 300 residents from Belagare Road took to protesting on Sunday, it caught everyone’s attention for one specific reason: many of the protestors were young children.

“We want proper drainage,” read one of the placards held by a child. “Help me reach school on time,” read another.

These young protestors were demanding for the widening of Balagere and Panathur Road, which become quickly congested during peak traffic hours. Children of all ages took part in the protest which began at 10 am on Sunday morning and continued until 1 pm in the afternoon.

Holding signs which drew attention to various infrastructural issues in the neighbourhood, several children and adults, gathered demanding for improvements.

Several citizens present at the protest complained that the narrow roads were causing immense congestion, particularly during peak traffic hours, which was leading to several delays when commuting in the mornings and evenings.

Another resident, speaking to TNIE, stated that while officials did repair some roads in the area earlier, the repairs did not last for a long time.

“This protest is just the beginning. Many more protests are being planned in the near future. The condition of the road remains the same for the last four-and-a-half years,” reportedly said Jagadeesh Reddy, a member of Varthur Rising, a citizen-led changemaker initiative.

Several protestors were reportedly upset with officials who failed to take cognisance of the situation. However, responding to all the complaints, Corporator of Ward 149, Pushpa Manjunath stated that Underground Drainage lines were being laid in the concerned areas by the Bangalore Water Supply Sewerage Board (BWSSB) and that the roads would be fixed once the work was done.

This is not the first time that residents of the city have taken to protesting against traffic woes.

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