8,000 vehicles travel per hour in KR Market

Bengaluru: Krishnarajendra Market is a testament to the history of the city. The city's biggest fruit and flower market witnesses traffic snarl every day. The roots of the traffic problem created from the time market came into exisitense. It is the first locality in the whole of Asia to get electricity and considered to be one of the biggest flower markets in Asia.

The city market, which is a suitable platform for the sale of agricultural products by the farmers of the towns around Bengaluru, and the surrounding roads are a constant source of traffic. Along with the city, thousands of traders, farmers and customers from neighboring districts and other states come here every day to buy and sell flowers, fruits and vegetables. Naturally, traffic congestion is becoming a problem.

Being a major commercial hub, the City Market area is a popular destination for customers. People from all over the city come to this market which is connected by BMTC bus to the entire city.

Even after the inception of our metro rail service, the number of people coming to the market has increased significantly. According to the information of the police department, about 3,000 people pass through City Market Junction every hour.

BVK Iyengar Road, Silver Jubilee Park Road, SP Road, Chickpet Main Road, Kalasipalya, KR Road, Avenue Road, which are adjacent to City Market, are regularly crowded with people. The commercial activities that start at 4 am do not end till late at night. A flyover has been constructed in this part for smooth traffic. The measures taken by the traffic police and BBMP to solve the traffic problem have not yielded the expected results.

Vehicular traffic is continuous at City Market Junction. According to estimates, around 8,000 vehicles pass through City Market Junction every hour. Due to this, there is heavy traffic in this part compared to other junctions of the city.

BMTC operates the largest number of buses from the K R Market, also several private and KSRTC buses ply from Kalasipalya. Besides, thousands of freight vehicles come and go here. Vehicles going to distant towns including Mysore, Kanakapura, Magadi travel on the flyover.

However, the vehicles going towards Avenue Road, Vanivilas Hospital, Kalasipalya are the highest. Auto and BMTC bus drivers park their vehicles indiscriminately, obstructing the movement of other vehicles. The roads below the flyover are narrow and the asphalt has been torn off and there are big potholes at many places. Slow movement of vehicles on bumpy roads leads to traffic problems.

The vehicular traffic is also caused by the random movement of the public. Separate tunnels have been constructed for the convenience of pedestrians. However, the public do not use them instead walk the road in between the vehicles. If the traffic police give stern warnings to use the tunnels, pedestrians question the cleanliness and safety of the tunnels.

Owners of vehicles carrying vegetables are doing business by parking their vehicles on the side of the road. The traffic police expressed their displeasure that if legal action is taken against such traders, they would abuse that we penalise only the street vendors, innocent people and the working class.

Traders have opened their shops on the pavements on the sides of the roads and are doing business in full swing. Three to four feet of footpaths have been encroached upon and the public is walking on the road.

More than 2 lakh vehicles are plying in the vicinity of KR market every day. The current speed limit for vehicles within 4 km from Market Junction is only 15 to 20 km per hour. The traffic police say that without the flyover and metro rail service, the speed limit of vehicles would have been reduced by two times. Centuries ago, Santhe was held in KR Market, which was known as Siddhikatte Market. As the days rolled by, Siddhikatte market turned into Krishnaraja market. This area, which used to be a crowded place in the past, has become a hub of vehicular traffic in recent years.