While its narrow roads and heavy traffic make Bengaluru congested almost everywhere else, there's an additional reason for the chaos on Masjid Road and Neelasandra Main Road. Here precious road space is eaten into by metal cupboards placed there by their manufacturers and autorickshaws parked outside auto garages for repair.
Motorists and bikers have a hellish time avoiding the cupboards stocked on the roadsides as even a slight brushing or smearing of their metal exterior can trigger a massive fight, with the manufacturers ganging up on them. Most times auto mechanics too join in the bullying, blocking the road and holding up the traffic, complains Mr S. Ramesh, a resident of Neelasandra, who is often witness to the problem. “Young bikers sometimes find it difficult to negotiate the narrow road and end up brushing against those working on the cupboards or the mechanics repairing the autos. In the process they are beaten up or abused. When the road is meant for traffic and and pavements for pedestrians, the civic authorities and the police should not allow them to be used for doing businesses of profit,” he points out, noting that pedestrians too have a hard time getting past the autorickshaws parked on the roadsides almost all through the day.
Piles of auto garage material and rubbish coupled with the constant presence of mechanics on the pavements make life difficult for women and senior citizens on foot in the area. Another irritant is the spraying of emulsion paint on the autos in the open which is not just affecting the health of the people here , but also polluting their immediate environment. “Spraying of paints should be allowed only in an enclosed or industrial area. The authorities must put a stop to it here,” they demand.
Besides the congested roads, Neelasandra residants have to put up with mounds of garbage too as it is seldom collected by BBMP staff and the lack of public toilets. “Many children urinate on the road in their absence,” they deplore.