Bengaluru– Karthik Reddy, an IPS officer from the 2011 batch and an engineering graduate from RV College of Engineering, has stepped into one of the city’s most demanding roles — managing Bengaluru’s notorious traffic. Taking over as the city’s traffic chief just days ago, Reddy is rolling out a sharp mix of tech-driven solutions and on-ground enforcement to tackle congestion in India’s Silicon Valley.
Focus Areas and Priorities
Reddy’s immediate approach is “boots on the ground” — ensuring police are stationed at key junctions by 7 am, verifying presence via the ASTRAM app. He’s also enforcing a 2014 ban on heavy vehicles during peak hours (7–11 am and 4:30–9 pm), prioritizing smoother flow over enforcement during rush hours.
Tech Park Congestion
The Outer Ring Road, especially the Ecoworld–Ecospace corridor, remains a hotspot, with over 1.6 lakh vehicles entering tech parks daily. To ease this, Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras are being installed. Reddy hopes to coordinate tech parks for better internal traffic flow and push companies toward carpooling, shuttles, and public transport.
Tackling Parking & Violations
Illegal parking is being clamped down with strict no-parking enforcement to avoid road narrowing. In parallel, special drives are targeting delivery agents violating traffic rules like footpath riding and one-way violations.
Civic Works & Accountability
Roadworks will now undergo simulation-based impact assessments, and contractors delaying projects beyond seven days could face legal action or blacklisting by civic bodies.
Rain & Waterlogging Measures
Flooded roads will be reported via the Astram app, with data shared live with BBMP for quick action. Additionally, tow trucks will be stationed in six major zones to handle vehicle breakdowns during rains.
Smart Signals & Public Awareness
Reddy confirmed that adaptive traffic signaling — powered by machine learning — is operational 95–96% of the time, with manual overrides for emergencies like ambulances.
Final Word
Addressing concerns about people moving to cities like Pune or Hyderabad due to traffic woes, Reddy said, “The frustration is real, but change is underway. Both short-term relief and long-term mobility planning are being aggressively implemented.”