1,137 potholes found by traffic police ; BBMP claims no potholes

Bengaluru: The traffic police, who have personally conducted on-ground reality check to identify killer potholes in the city, have found 1,137 road potholes in different parts of the city.

Due to continuous rains, the roads under the corporation are completely damaged and accidents are reported daily. A journey on potholed roads is a journey to death, one who drives in Bengaluru should be cautious. Even though the High Court has whipped many times on the issue of potholes, the BBMP officials have not pulled up their socks to get into work. Innocent lives are being sacrificed due to the negligence of the corporation. However, the BBMP officials are claiming falsely that they have completely fixed the potholes.

Thus, the traffic police have found the potholes so that the corporation officials realise. There are 44 traffic police stations in the city and the senior officials have ordered that the personnel of each station should detect the potholes on the main roads in their jurisdiction daily and provide information along with photos. Accordingly, the police are taking photos of the potholes and sending the information to the BBMP through the 'Fix My Street' (FMS) app. The corporation has introduced the Fix My Street app for quick repair of potholes. The public is also sending photos of potholes through this app. Similarly, traffic police are uploading GIS based photos of potholes in this app. Corporation engineers are verifying this information. The corporation has informed the police department that they have closed 8,000 potholes in the last 6 months.

Although the police have given information with photos, the corporation officials have not covered the potholes in many places. Despite repeated appeals by the police, the corporation officials are not responding. Thus, the traffic police are closing the potholes at many places. The police have decided to file a case under the charge of negligence, holding the corporation officials responsible for accidents due to potholes that invite danger.

The potholes are becoming a serious problem for vehicular traffic in the city. On the one hand, vehicles move at a slow speed due to potholes. On the other hand, casualties are occurring due to accidents. The potholes, unscientific speed bumps are causing back pain to two-wheeler riders. In order to ensure smooth traffic and safety of motorists, the personnel are detecting road potholes and sending the information to BBMP through the FMS app, said senior police officers.

Along with potholes, the police are collecting information about unscientific speed bumps, small shops on footpaths, garbage strewn between roads, water supply pipes lying on roads and footpaths, construction materials dumped on roads and inadequate asphalting. The police have requested the BBMP and BWSSB to solve the problems of piles of garbage, potholes and patches placed on the road which are obstructing smooth traffic. 427 unscientific speed bumps have been identified in the city. Besides, 55 roads were found littered and useless construction materials were dumped on 84 roads. BWSSB has put up its work materials on 36 sides. 186 Small shops are popping up on the footpath. Proper lighting on roads will facilitate traffic flow and safety for motorists. The police have advised the corporation that proper lighting will reduce the chances of accidents.

In the first phase, the police detected 4,545 potholes and recorded the information in the FMS app. Out of this, the corporation had repaired 4,302 potholes. The corporation informed the police that out of the 539 potholes identified in the second phase, the work of closing 464 potholes is in progress. Police identified 3,766 potholes in the third phase, of which the corporation has closed 2,937 potholes.