3 hours for 15 km: Bengaluru doctor's viral post sparks outrage
Bengaluru: A Bengaluru-based doctor recently took to the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to share her ordeal of spending nearly three hours to travel just a 15-kilometre stretch through the Varthur. Her social media post has sparked widespread outrage, highlighting the city’s deteriorating civic infrastructure and persistent traffic gridlocks.
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Dr. Nandita Iyer's post quickly struck a chord with thousands of fellow commuters who experience similar daily bottlenecks, turning the spotlight back on Bengaluru’s long-standing urban management crisis. As comments and shares continue to surge, the post has evolved into a rallying point for citizens disillusioned with inadequate infrastructure and a lack of effective urban planning.
The doctor posted, stating, “Bengaluru has the highest road tax in India, and the highest suffering on the road. Giant pothole-ridden roads full of bottlenecks, no active traffic police, rampant wrong-side driving, and total civic chaos. A 15 km drive via Varthur took nearly 3 hours today, which left us utterly heartbroken and disappointed. There are zero incentives here for being a law-abiding, tax-paying citizen. And no punishments for those who break every law with impunity.”
“I know my tweet is of no use, and there will be many who will attack me for speaking the truth. But something has to be done to improve the quality of life in our cities before it’s too late. Show us that our taxes are actually being put to some use other than fattening politicians’ pockets,” she added. She also pointed out that 95% of the vehicles were going ahead using the wrong side of the road and the broken footpaths, causing a situation worsening by the minute - just a handful of vehicles like us sticking to our lane, didn’t see one traffic police in the entire stretch.
One of the entrepreneurs responded on the tweet, stating, “People are losing faith that things will ever improve. But cities don’t die in a day; they die slowly when ordinary citizens give up hope and stop demanding better. We desperately need accountability: 1. Regular audits of tax collection vs. infrastructure spending so that citizens know where their money is going. 2. Strict penalties for contractors and government departments that fail to deliver basic road quality. 3. Active traffic management using more AI-based cameras at traffic lights instead of relying only on traffic police. Offenders should receive challans directly without any scope for negotiation or bribery. This will ensure better compliance and end the culture of "managing" traffic violations. 4. Transparent project timelines for every road, drainage, and metro project, so endless digging and incomplete works don’t become the new normal.”
Another person pointed out the solidarity of experience and stated, “You're not alone. The same is Pune and many Indian cities. We should have focused on building better roads and basic infrastructure before going for grander airports, skyscrapers, and stadiums.” Suggesting a solution, another netizen stated, “We need to stay united and engage in stopping our cars in the middle of the road nearer to the key government offices and walk away to make the government officials feel our pain. That might be the ultimatum to stop all these nonsense and irresponsible politicians.”
The incident has reignited heated conversations on civic governance, traffic mismanagement, and the severe lack of investment in sustainable transport infrastructure. Many users on social media echoed Dr. Iyer’s concerns, pointing out that basic commuting has become a daily ordeal, affecting productivity, mental health, and quality of life.
