BMRCL wakes up to fixe crater on the road only after 28 injured in KSRTC bus mishap

Bengaluru: It has taken a major accident for the authorities to repair a damaged road in Bengaluru city. A speeding KSRTC bus, which was heading to Bengaluru from Madikeri, rammed into a Namma Metro pillar on Mysuru road in the early hours of Monday, leaving 28 persons injured, with five of them requiring surgeries. The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation (BMRCL) woke up and fixed overnight a huge crater near the Metro Pillar No 546.

Several vehicle drivers in their attempt to avoid the crater ended up in accidents on this road. It was an everyday thing for two-wheeler riders to fall off their vehicles at this point because of the crater. But the BMRCL which maintains the road did not bother to repair it. Locals recall an elderly couple falling off their vehicle last week.

Drivers would apply sudden brake upon seeing this huge pothole causing a pileup. A resident in the area, Durgesh Kumar lamented that the lack of maintenance of the road led to accidents and caused trauma to the innocent.

The KSRTC bus accident could have been avoided if this work had been done earlier, said Pradeep, a cab driver from Kengeri.

The potholes that were caused during the construction of the Metro Pillar were not properly covered. The soil around the pillar has loosened and they form a pothole. There is a similar situation on both sides of the road from Nayandahalli to Kengeri. Accidents happen when motorists try to avoid these pitfalls. There are still plenty of potholes inviting danger on Mysuru Road. There is a large crater formed near Metro Pillar No. 510. This could lead to another accident. Only then the authorities might wake up from their slumber.

The BBMP said the road had been temporarily handed over to BMRCL for maintenance of the Metro Rail Line and though the work was completed the latter did not give it back to the former due to some problem. In September 2021, the BMRCL wrote a letter asking the BBMP to take back the maintenance of the road. In reply to the letter, the BBMP Special Commissioner (Planning) explained that after fixing the problems, a joint inspection would be carried out and only then it would take it over. "The tarring of the road was set to begin. As soon the rain stops, we will be starting the work. When we started the work, it started to rain. Potholes around the road where the accident took place has been fixed, said BMRCL Managing Director Anjum Parvez.