Hebbal to Windsor Manor delays highlight Bengaluru worsening traffic crisis

Severe traffic congestion in Bengaluru has sparked renewed criticism from prominent citizens and global indexes, with local bottlenecks like the three-kilometer stretch from Hebbal to Windsor Manor now taking commuters up to 70 minutes to cross. The outcry follows a grueling weekend commute by Infosys co-founder Kris Gopalakrishnan, who took two-and-a-half hours to complete a 31-kilometer journey on Saturday.

Gopalakrishnan shared his frustration on the social media platform X, writing, "It is only becoming worse. Traffic, condition of roads, and poor discipline." While he did not specify the exact route of his 31-kilometer trip, his post quickly went viral, with online users pointing to the rising volume of vehicles and slow metro construction as key contributors to the gridlock.

The worsening situation is reflected in the 2025 TomTom Traffic Index, which ranked Bengaluru as the second-most congested city in the world, behind only Mexico City. The city’s ranking has deteriorated steadily over recent years, climbing from sixth in 2023 to third in 2024, and finally to second in 2025.

According to the index, average peak-hour speeds in Bengaluru dropped to 13.9 kmph in 2025, down from 14.9 kmph in 2024. Commuters now spend an average of 36 minutes and nine seconds to travel just 10 kilometers, marking an increase of over two minutes compared to the previous year.

The report also revealed that Bengaluru's overall congestion level—the additional travel time caused by traffic—rose to 74.4%, a year-on-year increase of 1.7 percentage points. On average, local motorists lost an estimated 168 hours annually to peak-hour delays.

Traffic police identified the Outer Ring Road and Sarjapur Road as the areas experiencing the most severe peak-hour congestion. Authorities stated they expect traffic flow to improve once the metro's Blue Line becomes operational and the ongoing redevelopment of the Outer Ring Road is completed.