A portion of Kamaraj Road is closed while traffic restrictions are in force in many parts of CBD

Shops and restaurants on M.G. Road and Brigade Road and vendors on Kamaraj Road are already feeling the impact of traffic and parking restrictions in the area on account of underground construction work for Namma Metro. Many are bracing themselves to weather the uncertainty of business for the next four years as the restrictions will be in place till 2023.

A portion of Kamaraj Road, which links M.G. Road and Cubbon Road has been closed as Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (BMRCL) has begun construction of an underground station as a part of the Gottigere-Nagawara stretch of Phase II Reach six. Motorists will no longer be able to park their car on these roads. The impact of the restrictions, which came into effect on June 15, are being felt across the busy Central Business District (CBD).

Krishnappa, a vendor who sells sunglasses and belts on M.G. Road, said that the number of customers has reduced. He is expecting it to come down further one the monsoon makes its presence felt in the city. “It’s been around 10 days. I am thinking of shifting to an unaffected road, maybe Residency Road or St. Mark’s Road, but footfalls are less there,” he said.

No parking facilities

Unlike small vendors, established shops and restaurants do not have the luxury of relocating. Many are worried that with parking restrictions, customers will move to other up and coming shopping districts in the city.

P. Bhoopalam P. Srinath, president of Bangalore Traders’ Association and the proprietor of a Bombay Dyeing outlet on M.G. Road, acknowledges the necessity of metro connectivity from across the city to the CBD. “However, we did not expect, and cannot bear, hardship to this extent. The government should have built parking complexes here as it did on J.C. Road. If not, they could have allocated a portion of Manekshaw Parade Ground for temporary parking. It's embarrassing for CBD to not have a parking complex,” he said.

The newly revamped Swagath (ONYX) LED Cinema (formerly Shankar Nag Chitramandira), which opened its doors to the public in April 2019, has been also been affected, according to employees. “Business has not picked up as expected despite the theatre getting a technology revamp,” said an employee.

The ban on parking has not only affected brick and mortar businesses but also professionals like lawyers and bankers. Many have stopped bringing their cars and two-wheelers to work and those who don’t live along the metro line say that getting autos and taxis is not easy.

Hemanth Bharadwaj, an advocate who practices in the Karnataka High Court, says that it is becoming increasingly difficult to reach Mayo Hall court. “It is the duty and responsibility of the government to provide alternate transportation facilities to these places,” he said.

Vendors are worried whether BMRCL will stick to its deadline. When metro work was being carried out between M.G. Road and Baiyappanahalli, Church Street offered parking space, blunting the adverse impact on businesses.

“Now, there is no parking on both roads. Why will people come to the area?” said Mayi Gowda, proprietor of Blossom Book House.

‘Encourage people to leave their cars at home’

Blocking a stretch of Kamaraj Road has led to traffic snarls across the CBD. Traffic diversions in this zone will impact large parts of the city as M.G. Road – Brigade Road is a critical link between north and south Bengaluru.

“We have to make a bigger loop from Anil Kumble Circle to Dickenson Road. The stretch of Kamaraj Road that is blocked used to distribute traffic on this loop. As a result, traffic density on these roads has increased,” said Avinash K., a software engineer who commutes by the road every day.

Several adjoining roads, like Richmond Road and St. Mark’s Road, that rarely saw snarls are witnessing slow moving traffic.

The movement of vehicles on Hosur Road has also been disrupted. It is difficult for most heavy vehicles to take a turn into the narrow Brigade Road as parked cars take up almost one-third of the space. This, say motorists, has created a bottleneck and is causing a traffic pile up on M.G. Road.

“The police should ban the parking of any vehicle on Brigade Road,” said Basavaraj, a cab driver.

The police have already banned parking on M.G. Road, Kamaraj Road, Cubbon Road and Dickenson Road, which has exacerbated the parking problem.

Urban commute expert Sanjeev Dyamannanavar said closure of the stretch of Kamaraj Road should be accompanied by a holistic strategy that should work towards reducing traffic on this loop. Ban on parking and increased frequency of public transport – both metro and buses – should discourage commuters from bringing their vehicles.

“People must park their vehicles far away from the now congested loop and take metro or buses to the area. Train frequency on the Purple Line from Baiyappanahalli to Nayandahalli must be increased immediately,” he said adding the BMTC must run shuttle buses on M.G. Road – Hosur Road and surrounding areas as well.

Dr. K.V. Jagadeesh, DCP (Traffic – East), said traffic diversions are a dynamic process and they would evolve based on the experience on the ground.