Traffic worry looms
Police estimate that more than 5,000 long-distance buses could leave the city on Friday evening and night alone. As against the usual daily movement of 600 to 800 buses, the number is expected to be 2,500 to 3,000.
They will travel to hometowns across north and central Karnataka, Mysuru and coastal Karnataka,” a senior traffic police officer said. Bengaluru: Brace for a Deepavali getaway rush on major roads as lakhs of Bengalureans prepare to hit the highways from Friday morning, triggering what traffic police expect to be one of the biggest festive outflows from the city. With families heading to their native places to celebrate the festival, traffic is expected to swell sharply along key exit corridors, including Tumakuru Road, Mysuru Road and Hosur Road. Traffic police anticipate the rush to surpass the congestion witnessed during the recent Dasara holidays. “The real challenge begins when more buses — both KSRTC and private — start leaving Bengaluru in different directions from the evening. This time, the rush will be more than that during Dasara as more people will celebrate Deepavali. Goraguntepalya junction, a major transit point for buses heading towards north, central and coastal Karnataka, is expected to bear the brunt. Congestion is also likely to spill over to the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) route, adding to the pressure on Bengaluru’s already stretched road network. Police have advised commuters to avoid major bottlenecks such as Goraguntepalya during peak night hours and plan their journeys accordingly.