BANGALORE: When the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) first introduced the magic boxes in the city, they expected all traffic problems to magically disappear. It also instilled hope for the thousands of people who travelled through these certain areas that they might be home for an early dinner or that they could see their children before they get to bed instead of being stuck in long traffic jams. While the other magic boxes might have reduced the tension comparatively, the one near Cauvery theatre doesn’t seem to have helped much.Situated in front of the theatre connecting Sadashivnagar and Bhashyam Circle to Sankey Road, this underpass has always faced its share of problems. Be it water logging or the traffic jams that form, the underpass has been considered by many as a misfit as it did not solve the problems. Instead it further added to the traffic woes in the area.But the situation now has worsened by the building of a small bund to prevent the entry of vehicles from Sankey Road Cross to Mekhri Circle. While earlier the road could be used as a diversion for traffic in case of jams, now that option too has been crushed. Several other deficiencies with the underpass lies in the fact that it is too narrow and not high enough. It gets severely difficult for drivers to navigate through it.One ‘blessing’, however, is that the underpass brought with it the removal of a signal above it. Also, the authorities concerned seem to have conveniently forgotten the jeopardy that the pedestrians are put in due to the same. It takes several minutes for one to cross from one side to another. Even then, one has to run as though they aree in a race where reaching the other side unscathed would be the reward. An elderly citizen, Lakshmamma, who was seen trying to cross the road, said, “It’s horrible. The vehicles never stop. Even the Bangalore Metro Traffic Corporation (BMTC) buses use the same road. They say that taking the U-turn from Chowdaiah Road takes a while and that people can cross in the mean time. But the real situation is very different.”Another major concern is the fact that if there is a jam inside the magic box, like there was after Ganesh Chaturthi when people had to immerse their idols in the Sankey Tank, an easy solution cannot be found as that is the only way out. Shiva, a motorist, remarked, “The BBMP does not seem to have foreseen the consequences before installing it. It is a mess as it gets congested and vehicles end up lining at length. Peak hours are the worst.”The traffic inspector present on duty, on the condition of anonymity said, “I think the situation is better now than it was before. People travelling from Bhashyam Circle can directly take a turn to Mekhri Circle instead of having to travel all the way until the junction.” A sum of `1.5 crore was spent on the underpass. The underpass was opened to the public in early 2008. However, even three years hence it has still not bewitched its commuters.
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