Bengaluru: A video of three schoolgirls voicing their frustration over the city’s deteriorating road conditions has gone viral, sparking outrage on social media and renewed debate on Bengaluru’s crumbling civic infrastructure. The clip, recorded inside a moving school bus, highlights the emotional and physical toll that pothole-ridden roads are taking on students.

School commute turns into a daily ordeal

The girls, travelling on their school bus, shared how a 14-kilometre commute has become an exhausting journey due to bad roads and traffic snarls. “So this is where we spend most of our time. We are currently stuck in traffic… I promise I didn’t fake that. These are actually the roads of Bangalore,” one student said, as the bus jolted violently after hitting a pothole.

According to the children, while the morning commute takes about 20 minutes, the return journey often stretches to nearly two hours. They pointed out that earlier they used to reach home by 3:15 pm, but now the bus drops them off closer to 4:40 pm. This delay, they explained, has forced them to compromise on extracurricular activities and study time.

Emotional and physical toll on students

The students described how constant exposure to such conditions was affecting them beyond just lost hours. “This leads to a huge emotional strain due to exhaustion and all our energy being drained from being in this. And sometimes we even get physically injured because of the bumps. Something has to change. Please help us. This cannot be the new normal,” one of the girls appealed in the video.

The incident struck a chord with thousands online, especially as the backdrop was a recent near-miss involving a school bus carrying 20 children. The vehicle, while navigating Balagere Main Road, tilted dangerously when one tyre sank into soft ground. Locals rushed to the spot and helped evacuate all the children safely. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.

Public anger on social media

As of the last update, the video had been viewed over 8.3 lakh times, with hundreds of comments criticising the authorities. “These kids will be voters in a few years, and when they do, I hope they assert their basic civil rights sufficiently, because we have already let them down,” wrote one user.

Another said: “Such logical and sensible girls, confidently speaking their mind. And being respectful. The type of feminism I wanted.” Others pointed out the irony, with one quipping: “The roads in Bengaluru are so bad, schoolkids are making headlines. But don’t panic — a holy renaming ceremony will surely patch the potholes.”

Infrastructure woes not new

The condition of Bengaluru’s roads has long been a sore point among residents. Despite being home to India’s largest IT industry and often called the country’s technology capital, the city struggles with potholes, waterlogging, and prolonged traffic jams. Citizens have often complained that infrastructure has failed to keep up with the rapid pace of urban growth.

Several civic bodies have promised road repair and drainage upgrades in the past, but progress has remained slow, with fresh potholes emerging every monsoon. Bengaluru’s residents have repeatedly taken to social media, courts, and even street protests to demand better infrastructure, yet the issue persists.

The larger concern

The schoolgirls’ viral video has once again underscored how deteriorating infrastructure is not merely an inconvenience for office-goers but also a serious problem affecting children’s safety, education, and mental well-being. Their plea has resonated widely, reminding citizens and authorities alike that ignoring civic problems has direct consequences on the next generation.

As one commenter observed, “When children have to beg for safe roads to study and play, it’s a collective failure of the system. This cannot be the new normal.”