Bengaluru's IKEA store causing traffic woes? MLA raises concern in Assembly

Chief minister Basavaraj Bommai said the government will look into the traffic woes caused since the opening of the IKEA store in the Nagasandra area.

The issue of traffic congestions around the new IKEA store in Bengaluru's Nagasandra area was taken up by the local MLA in the Karnataka Assembly on Tuesday, prompting the chief minister to state the matter will be looked into.

Furniture giant IKEA became a target of a political spat between the JDS and the ruling BJP in the Karnataka assembly on Tuesday. (AFP Photo)

Dasarahalli MLA from the JD(S), R Manjunath, raised his concerns of heavy congestions around the furniture and decor store with a horde of parked vehicles blocking the entire stretch, a The Times of India report said.

The Swedish retail giant opened its biggest store in Bengaluru adjoining the Nagasandra metro station on June 22. The store has seen heavy footfall since then, with a wait time of two to three hours on its first weekend after the inauguration. It also led to a spike in Namma Metro riders, which recorded its highest footfall ever in June.

READ | Over 2 years into Covid, Bengaluru Metro saw highest footfall, revenue in June

The Dasarahalli MLA also spoke about the Peenya flyover in the same area where heavy vehicles are not allowed that he said affected smooth vehicular movement in the constituency.

Chief minister Basavaraj Bommai said the government will look into the issues and resolve them at the earliest. PWD minister CC Patil said he is working with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to strengthen the Peenya flyover, after which heavy vehicles can be allowed on it.

On the IKEA issue, he said the traffic might be due to ‘initial excitement from the public’.

READ | Bumper weekend at IKEA Bengaluru store: 'Not MLAs queuing in Maharashtra'. Watch

Patil said the Peenya flyover will be strengthened by December, after which traffic woes might be reduced in the area.

While the legislator also brought up the issue of parking at the store, The Times of India quoted an IKEA spokesperson as saying that the showroom has 1,470 parking slots for four-wheelers alone.

"Perhaps, there may be more vehicles due to visitations to the showroom on weekends but we have space of close to one kilometer inside the premises for them to be accommodated if they are queued," the spokesperson was quoted as saying in the article.

The spokesperson said there is also the possibility that people using the Nagasandra metro station are parking their vehicles outside IKEA and this is being misconstrued as customers visiting the store.