Bengaluru traffic police tells companies on ORR to implement work from home on August 14

Traffic on Outer Ring Road

Bengaluru traffic police on August 13 issued an advisory to companies located along the Outer Ring Road (ORR) to implement work-from-home (WFH) arrangements on August 14, citing long weekend and potential heavy rainfall.

In a letter to the Outer Ring Road Companies Association (ORRCA), Joint Commissioner of Police (Bengaluru traffic) MN Anucheth said, "This is to bring to your attention that heavy traffic congestion is expected on August 14 due to the upcoming long weekend coupled with the predicted heavy rainfall."

ORRCA represents technology parks, IT/ITeS companies, and software development and research centres on ORR (Central Silk Board-KR Pura).

"To minimise disruptions and avoid undue delays, it is requested that member companies consider allowing WFH for their employees on August 14. This measure will not only reduce the number of vehicles on the road but also ensure a smoother commute for those who need to travel," the advisory said.

Also, read: Massive traffic jam on Bengaluru's Outer Ring Road; traffic police issues advisory to IT companies

Anucheth told Moneycontrol, "One of the reasons behind issuing the advisory is the long weekend, and another is the Met department's prediction of rain over the next three days. We conducted a simulation based on the events of last September and the last long weekend (January 26 to 28). We analysed the expected traffic for August 14 using data from online bus booking sites of aggregators and KSRTC. A total of 1,397 tickets were booked from 4pm to 11pm, which is three times the normal. Additionally, KSRTC is operating around 700 buses, with another 400 on standby."

"We simulate situations based on data and past experience. For example, if it is a typical Wednesday and it rains, the queue length could increase to about three times the normal level, potentially leading to a gridlock. So, we made this request to the ORRCA for consideration." said Anucheth.

"The expected impact of both a rainy day and a long weekend is a 60 percent increase in traffic congestion. The typical congestion length during evening peak hours (6pm to 9:30pm) is 140 km. If it doesn’t rain, the expected congestion on August 14 (Wednesday) during evening peak hours is 224 km. If it rains, the expected congestion on August 14 during evening peak hours is over 360 km," said Anucheth.

Anucheth said that it is not an order but an advisory, and we are requesting companies to consider it. "They agreed to circulate it among their members. Even if 5-10% agree to it, there will be some reduction in traffic."

Also, read: Bengaluru rains add to Monday blues; roads flooded, traffic police issue advisory

Ramesh VT, ORRCA general secretary told Moneycontrol: "We have not mandated WFH on August 14, but we communicated the advisory to all companies. The respective companies will take a call. But some companies said that they received the advisory late. This is a precautionary advisory from the traffic police in light of the long weekend."

Traffic police said that with Independence Day falling on Thursday, many people in the city are planning to leave on August 14 for a long weekend, which is likely to cause traffic congestion across the city.

On August 12, heavy rains lashed tech capital Bengaluru, leading to traffic snarls and waterlogging in many areas. There was a massive traffic jam on Outer Ring Road and Hosur Road due to the waterlogging. Many motorists were stuck for hours in traffic on the Electronics City elevated flyover.

According to ORRCA, 9.5 lakh people are employed in more than 500 companies in the tech corridor and 36 percent of Bengaluru's IT revenue, which totals $32.68 billion per year, comes from the KR Puram to Silk Board section of ORR. ($1 billion is approximately Rs 8,300 crore).

Also, read: Traffic congestion in Bengaluru's tech corridor costs $15 bn annually: Outer Ring Road Companies Association