Bengaluru, Sept 9: Every day, nearly 35,000 schoolchildren on Varthur–Sarjapur Road—Bengaluru’s tech corridor—spend more time in traffic than in classrooms, thanks to gridlocks caused by poor planning and infrastructure delays.
A study by a private school revealed that school buses are taking 32% longer this year compared to the last academic year. The 17-km stretch houses over 30 unaided schools and several government institutions, with 1,300 school buses ferrying 35,000–40,000 students daily.
Campaign for solutions
While many schools have resigned themselves to the problem, Inventure Academy launched the campaign “Our Mobility, Our Voice”. Students analysed GPS data from 61 buses and found that children spend 180 minutes daily—around 600 hours a year—in traffic, roughly equivalent to losing one academic term every two years.
“The amount of time our students waste on roads is unacceptable. Traffic is costing children their time for learning, play, well-being, and family,” said Nooraine Fazal, founder of Inventure Academy.
Worsening journey times
The school compared bus travel times since 2019. For instance, the ride to Prestige Falcon City took 130 minutes in Aug 2019, fell to 108 minutes in 2022–23, then rose sharply to 164 minutes in 2025–26.
Key bottlenecks identified
- Dommasandra: broken roads, potholes, and an incomplete flyover choking traffic.
Fixes suggested: resurfacing, restricting heavy vehicles at peak hours, completing the flyover. - Gunjur: high traffic volumes, narrow stretches, and private pickups worsening jams.
Fixes suggested: enforcing in-campus drop-offs, police deployment at choke points, road widening.
Students also urged penalties for wrong-side driving and illegal parking, common causes of chaos.
Police officials have reportedly assured the school that they are actively working on measures to ease congestion.