Bengaluru: A Bengaluru-based tech founder’s frustration over spending 90 minutes covering just three kilometres has renewed concerns about the city’s traffic congestion, poor roads and their impact on everyday business.
Three kilometres takes 90 minutes
Soveek Ray, who has lived in Bengaluru for 10 years, shared an Instagram video describing his experience as an example of the “hidden cost” of running a business in the city.
Ray said he had planned a short trip to a store in Varthur to drop off products and return home. What he expected to be a 10-20 minute task instead turned into a 90-minute struggle to cover a three-kilometre stretch.
Frustrated by the traffic, Ray eventually left his car at the store and walked home. He also criticised the poor condition of the road, saying the infrastructure made routine business activities unnecessarily difficult.
‘How are businesses supposed to operate?’
Ray said the problem affects far more than business founders. Delivery partners, retailers, employees and customers also have to deal with Bengaluru’s traffic and road conditions every day.
He questioned how businesses could operate efficiently in a city widely regarded as India’s technology capital when short journeys consume significant amounts of time.
The founder also urged politicians to do more for Bengaluru and improve its infrastructure, while making it clear that he remained optimistic about the city despite its challenges.
Residents share similar experiences
The video prompted several social media users to share their own experiences of Bengaluru’s commuting problems.
One user said even stepping out had become stressful, while another claimed it took 3.5 hours to travel 10 kilometres. Others blamed poor lane discipline and traffic bottlenecks for worsening congestion.
Ray’s experience has once again highlighted how Bengaluru’s traffic problems extend beyond inconvenience, affecting productivity, deliveries, employees and businesses across the city.