Students travelling through Bengaluru’s Varthur Gunjur corridor are facing an increasingly difficult journey, with severe traffic congestion turning short trips into hours long commutes. The situation became particularly concerning during the ongoing examination period, when several school buses were caught in traffic for extended periods.
On one recent day, a journey of around four kilometres reportedly took as long as two and a half hours. School buses were also delayed during the morning commute, while the return journey became even more difficult for some students. Reports said several children spent hours on the road after school.
The problem is affecting a corridor that has a large concentration of schools. Reports indicate that around 18 to 20 major schools operate along the Varthur Gunjur stretch, with many students travelling through the area during the same morning and afternoon periods.
For students writing examinations, the delays have added another layer of stress. Some children reached examination centres later than expected after school buses were held up by the traffic. In some cases, schools reportedly made arrangements to give affected students additional time to complete their examinations.
The evening situation has been particularly difficult. Once schools finish for the day, school buses join the already heavy flow of private vehicles, two wheelers and other traffic. The resulting congestion can bring movement on parts of the corridor to a crawl.
Parents say the problem is no longer an occasional inconvenience. The unpredictability of the journey is making it difficult for families to plan school travel, especially when children have examinations or other fixed schedules.
The condition of the road has added to the frustration. Residents have pointed to damaged stretches, potholes and bottlenecks along the corridor. Ongoing infrastructure work is also contributing to changes in traffic movement, with construction activity affecting an already busy route. The Varthur Gunjur stretch forms part of State Highway 35 and is undergoing infrastructure work being carried out by the Karnataka Road Development Corporation.
Dust and uneven road surfaces have also become concerns for people travelling through the area. During periods of heavy traffic, vehicles have limited space to move around damaged portions of the road, making bottlenecks worse.
The situation has attracted attention beyond the residents who use the road every day. Bengaluru Traffic Police said personnel were temporarily working with local residents to address some damaged portions of the road in areas where immediate intervention was required. The traffic police also asked motorists to drive carefully and cooperate with staff working at the location.
The temporary road work by traffic personnel has itself triggered a wider discussion about responsibility for road maintenance. Entrepreneur Mohandas Pai questioned why traffic police were having to deal with road damage and called for action against officials responsible for the condition of the road. He also appealed to Karnataka authorities for intervention.
For residents, however, the immediate concern remains the daily commute. A road that is only a few kilometres long is taking a substantial amount of time, leaving families unsure about when children will reach school or return home.
The traffic problem is also being felt by the wider working population in the Whitefield and Varthur areas. Thousands of employees live in residential communities along the corridor, meaning the same roads carry school buses during the day and large numbers of office commuters around peak working hours. Recent reports have described continued delays even after the severe congestion affecting students was highlighted.
Parents have increasingly questioned whether existing traffic arrangements are sufficient for the growing number of residents and schools in the area. Some reports have also highlighted calls for better coordination between road agencies, traffic authorities and schools to manage congestion during school hours.
The issue is particularly important because the Varthur Gunjur corridor has developed rapidly over recent years. Residential communities and educational institutions have expanded around the area, increasing the number of people depending on the same road network.
The current situation has therefore become more than a routine traffic complaint. For students, the delay can affect examination schedules. For parents, it means spending much longer on school travel. For office workers, it adds uncertainty to an already difficult Bengaluru commute.
Residents are now looking for a longer term solution rather than temporary measures alone. Better road surfaces, smoother construction management, improved traffic coordination and effective handling of peak hour movement could help reduce some of the pressure on the corridor.
Until such measures are implemented, commuters using the Varthur Gunjur stretch are likely to continue facing unpredictable travel times. The recent experience of students taking hours to cover just a few kilometres has once again brought attention to the infrastructure and traffic challenges facing Bengaluru’s rapidly growing eastern suburbs.
