1 week ago
Bengaluru School Bus Takes Two Hours for Two Kilometres
A school bus in Bengaluru took two hours to travel only 2 km.
The child’s father, Hari, said he felt helpless while waiting for her to get home.
He said many families have complained about unsafe and crowded roads.
Other residents described accidents and long delays in the same area.
Entrepreneur Ritish Reddy said children can spend more than two hours traveling 5 km.
Some parents said trips that usually ended at 3:30 pm recently ended at 5:30 pm.
Traffic Police sources said infrastructure work is causing the congestion.
Parents are asking authorities to make the roads safer for children and other residents.
A Bengaluru parent said his daughter’s school bus took two hours to travel 2 km on the Varthur-Gunjur road.
Hari said he felt “completely helpless” while his daughter was stuck in the bus.
Residents cited incidents including a toppled school bus, a woman’s serious fall injuries and a biker’s pothole-related accident.
Entrepreneur Ritish Reddy said children from Whitefield spend more than two hours daily on a 5 km commute along Varthur Road.
Bengaluru Traffic Police sources attributed the congestion to ongoing infrastructure work in the area.
- Who
- Bengaluru parents, schoolchildren and other residents, including Hari and entrepreneur Ritish Reddy, are affected.
- What
- School buses and other vehicles are facing severe congestion, with reported journeys of two hours for 2 km and more than two hours for 5 km.
- Where
- The congestion was reported on the Varthur-Gunjur road, Varthur Road and the Whitefield area of Bengaluru.
- When
- Hari described the incident as happening “today”; Ritish Reddy posted about the situation on September 17.
- Why
- Bengaluru Traffic Police sources attributed the congestion to ongoing infrastructure work; residents also raised concerns about road blockages and unsafe conditions.
Parents and residents
Traffic officials
Cause of the congestion
Parents and residents
Parents and residents described persistent traffic, road blockages, potholes and unsafe conditions, and called for safer roads for children.
Traffic officials
Bengaluru Traffic Police sources attributed the congestion to ongoing infrastructure work in the area.
What should happen next
Parents and residents
Residents want authorities to address the road conditions and traffic so children can travel home safely and more reliably.
Traffic officials
The article does not report a specific remedy or timeline from traffic officials.
Key facts
- Reported journey
- Two hours to cover 2 km on the Varthur-Gunjur road
- Other reported commute
- More than two hours for a 5 km journey from Whitefield along Varthur Road
- Parent quoted
- Hari, a Bengaluru resident
- Reported hazards
- A toppled school bus, a woman seriously injured after a fall and a biker injured after falling because of a pothole
- Traffic explanation
- Bengaluru Traffic Police sources cited ongoing infrastructure work
- Reported timing change
- One child’s journey reportedly shifted from a usual 3:30 pm arrival to 5:30 pm
Quotes
Ritish Reddy
Bengaluru entrepreneur and co-founder and CEO of Zluri
“We are not activists. We are not fighting for a political party. We are parents, employees, families and taxpayers asking for one basic thing: Please give our children a safe road to come home on.”
livemint.com
“Today my daughter’s school bus took 2 hours to travel just 2 km in Varthur/Gunjur road. For those 2 hours, I sat there as a parent feeling completely helpless.”
livemint.com








