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Bengaluru techies increase office presence amid AI fears, worsening traffic: Report
Bengaluru’s IT workforce is choosing to go to office more to secure their jobs amidst AI-related layoffs, thereby contributing to more traffic.
Concerns over potential job losses due to artificial intelligence are reshaping commuting patterns for Bengaluru’s tech workforce. The Outer Ring Road (ORR) — already notorious for heavy traffic — now experiences its peak congestion on Wednesdays, marking a dramatic escalation in midweek gridlock.
Recent data from the Bengaluru Traffic Police (BTP) revealed that entries into 26 major tech parks along the ORR shot up by as much as 45 per cent this June compared to last year, with a striking spike on Wednesdays: more than 1,20,000 vehicles were recorded on a single day, up from around 82,000 the previous June. Authorities attributed this surge to IT professionals’ increasing efforts to be physically present at the office, believing higher visibility might shield them from layoffs amid AI-induced restructuring, according to a report from The Times of India.
A software developer based in Doddanekundi said he has boosted his office attendance to at least four days a week. According to him, showing up in person could make a crucial difference to job security in these uncertain times.
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This surge in in-person attendance is worsening traffic snarls, especially in tech-heavy corridors such as ORR, Sarjapur Road and the routes to Electronics City. In response, traffic officials, including the recently appointed Joint Commissioner (Traffic) Karthik Reddy, are urging tech companies to consider allowing employees to work from home on Wednesdays or to stagger work hours, perhaps by starting as early as 7:30 am.
But for many, these are only temporary solutions that fail to address deeper systemic issues. Commuters argued that inadequate sidewalks and safe crossings force those living within walking distance to rely on vehicles.
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Infrastructure works — ranging from Metro construction to pipeline installations and road expansions — compound the problem, often taking place simultaneously and without proper coordination among the city's agencies, the report stated. The resulting confusion is a key factor behind the morning bottlenecks, said Marathahalli project lead Vikram Naik.
