Full Breakdown
Bengaluru’s Varthur-Gunjur Gridlock Turns Short School Commutes into Hours-Long Journeys
By Drooid · · How we work
The Gridlock Unfolds
On September 17, 2026, school buses on the Varthur-Gunjur stretch of State Highway 35 were stuck for more than two hours. Parents reported a 2 km journey took two hours, a 4 km trip required 2.5 hours, and several 5–6 km routes exceeded two hours. Examples included a bus from The International School Bangalore to Prestige Lakeside Habitat (2 h 15 m) and Inventure Academy (2 h 30 m). Inventure Academy founder Nooraine Fazal said children and teachers collectively spent up to seven hours travelling that day.
Background & Context
The corridor links residential societies with the Whitefield IT hub and hosts 18-20 major schools. Ongoing infrastructure work by the Karnataka Road Development Corporation coexists with potholes, loose gravel, broken streetlights, blocked drains and unauthorised house extensions that narrow the road. Rain-filled potholes add a seasonal hazard.
Data & Statistics
- 2 km -> 2 h (parent Hari’s daughter’s bus)
- 4 km -> 2.5 h (multiple parents)
- 5–6 km -> >2 h (NDTV, Moneycontrol)
- TISB-to-PLH: 2 h 15 m for six km
- Inventure Academy: 2 h 30 m for similar distance
- Greenwood High: 2 h 30 m for five km
- Maximum round-trip reported: 7 h (Fazal)
Official Statements & Responses
Bengaluru Traffic Police said the gridlock was attributed to ongoing infrastructure work on SH-35. *The Hindu* echoed this, noting a segment slated for completion by September 4 remained unfinished. No formal penalty has been imposed on contractors or officials.
Criticism & Opposition
Residents have criticised the lack of enforcement and road-maintenance policies, calling for an “anti-encroachment drive,” immediate repairs, stricter traffic-violation penalties and restrictions on heavy-vehicle movement during school hours.
On-the-Ground Reports
- Hari, a resident, posted that he pays “lakhs in taxes every month” yet “2 km from school” now means a two-hour crawl.
- Nooraine Fazal warned the incident was not isolated and urged “urgent help” and mobility solutions.
- Jain described a child’s need to use the washroom after a two-hour ride, highlighting the physical toll.
- Swati Kumari waited 45 minutes for her son’s bus before resorting to a two-wheeler, noting a one-kilometre scooter ride now exceeds an hour.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Today, more than the traffic, what broke me was the feeling that despite doing everything a responsible citizen is supposed to do, I had absolutely no power to protect my own child.” — Hari
- “For those 2 hours, I sat there as a parent feeling completely helpless.” — Hari
What’s Next
Parents have launched online petitions demanding urgent road repairs, traffic-management improvements, and regulation of heavy-vehicle movement during school-hour peaks. Public pressure, including a human-chain demonstration in September 2025, suggests continued civic engagement.