Bengaluru traffic woes: Exam-bound schoolchildren take 2.5hrs to cover 4km
What's the story
Schoolchildren in Bengaluru's Varthur-Gunjur area faced severe traffic delays on Thursday, with their school buses running late by up to 40 minutes in the morning and students getting stuck on roads for hours while returning home. The stretch, part of SH-35, is home to 18-20 big schools, with many conducting mid-term examinations. A four-kilometer journey took as long as two-and-a-half hours due to heavy traffic congestion.
Ongoing issues
Residents demand better infrastructure
The Varthur-Gunjur stretch is under construction by the Karnataka Road Development Corporation. However, residents say the area is still riddled with bottlenecks, potholes, and poor road conditions.
Priti Singh from Candor Landmark Apartments said the biggest concern was that schools had exams.
"It is unbelievable an area contributing significantly to the city's economy continues to suffer from such poor infrastructure," she told TOI.
Twitter Post
2+ hours every single day, a user wrote
2+ hours. Every single day. That's how long kids from Whitefield spend on Varthur Road for a 5km commute. My own daughter is stuck right now as I post this. Whitefield deserves better than this. @blrcitytraffic @DKShivakumar @krishnabgowda @PCMohanMP @MALimbavali #Varthur pic.twitter.com/GMXfG5mrsS
— Ritish Reddy (@itsritish) September 17, 2026
Commute challenges
Parents sign online petition
The situation has forced some parents to ditch school buses and take their kids on two-wheelers.
Swati Kumari from Candor Landmark said she waited nearly 45 minutes for her son's school bus before opting for a two-wheeler ride.
She said that while her son's school ends at 2:45pm, he reaches home around 4:30pm.
The delays have also prompted over 2,500 parents to sign an online petition seeking urgent road repairs and better traffic management in the Varthur-Gunjur area.
Community action
Petition lists demands for smooth traffic flow
The petition highlights the need for better coordination between civic and road agencies, especially after school buses were stuck in traffic for hours on September 17.
Parents have also called for a review of heavy vehicle movement during school hours.
The representation seeks urgent pothole repairs, enforcement of existing restrictions on heavy vehicles, better management of construction traffic, and a joint inspection involving Bengaluru Traffic Police, KRDCL, the relevant civic authority, schools, and parent representatives.