‘Useless police…’: SP MP Rajeev Rai slams Bengaluru’s ‘notorious traffic’ after one-hour gridlock

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Samajwadi Party MP Rajeev Rai on Sunday drew attention to Bengaluru’s persistent traffic woes, after alleging that he was stranded in heavy congestion for over an hour while trying to reach the airport.

The incident allegedly occurred on the crowded Rajkumar Samadhi Road, where the MP said he was caught in severe gridlock and feared missing his flight to Delhi to attend the Parliament’s Winter Session.

Taking to social media platform X, Rai criticised the city’s traffic management and the lack of police presence on the roads. In a post on the social media platform, he tagged the Chief Minister of Karnataka and wrote that Bengaluru has the “worst traffic management” and an “irresponsible” traffic police force. He also claimed that, despite the situation, not a single traffic policeman was visible at the congested stretch.

"Hon'ble @CMofKarnataka I’m sorry but you have the worst traffic management, and most irresponsible, useless traffic police," Rai’s post read.

Hon’ble @CMofKarnataka I m sorry but you have the worst traffic management, and most irresponsible, useless traffic police. They don’t even pick up phone calls, here is the SS of my attempt to speak to them , none of them picked up my call. Last one hour we are stuck at same… pic.twitter.com/GlWjJ4RgKH

— Rajeev Rai (@RajeevRai) November 30, 2025

The MP further alleged that efforts to contact the traffic department for help went unanswered. To back his claim, he shared a screenshot of his mobile call log, showing multiple attempts to reach various Bengaluru traffic helplines and patrol numbers. None of the calls, he said, were answered. “They don’t even pick up phone calls,” he wrote, expressing frustration over the lack of response in a moment of urgency.

Rai stated that he was in a hurry as he had to catch a flight to attend Parliament proceedings, and the prolonged delay on the road caused him great concern. He added that such poor traffic management was damaging the city’s image and taking away from its charm. “No doubt now Bengaluru traffic has earned the reputation of most notorious traffic,” his post concluded.