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Bengaluru CEO has an idea to deal with the city’s terrible, horrible, no-good traffic
A Bengaluru-based CEO wants to borrow an idea from China to help commuters deal with the city's infamous traffic.
The transformation of Bengaluru into India’s IT capital also brought hordes of workers to the Karnataka capital. Decades later, the cracks are beginning to show. It is now amply evident to any resident that Bengaluru’s infrastructure is ill-equipped to deal with the number of people living there. Nowhere is this more evident than in the city’s infamous traffic jams.
Bengaluru, perhaps more so than any other Indian city today, deals with massive traffic congestion every day. Rapid urbanisation, poor planning, limited public transport options are just some reasons why employees find the city’s roads choked daily during peak rush hours.
In the face of this, a Bengaluru-based CEO wants to borrow an idea from China to help residents deal with traffic. Serial entrepreneur Paras Chopra shared a screenshot of a news article describing how, in Beijing, commuters stuck in traffic jams can call for a ‘rescue.’
The article explains that in Beijing, you can pay someone $60 to rescue you from traffic. One person will reach your location and pick you up on a motorbike, while another will drive your car back.
“Bangalore founders, drop that SaaS idea and build this instead,” Chopra wrote while sharing the article on the social media platform X.
Social media reacts
X users were much amused by his suggestion, although some predicted that it would never work in traffic as chaotic as Bengaluru’s.
“Best startup idea,” wrote Debonkar, founder of GoToGrowth.
X user Sankalp gave a more balanced answer: “Here's a potential startup idea for major cities, but the main concern is establishing a trust-based framework. However, insurance companies may come into play by introducing a new insurance section.”
“Indians way too price sensitive lol. Will sit in traffic 3 hrs rather than spend 1000rs to get rescued,” a user predicted.
Another wrote: “Except that you will be stuck on motorbike instead.”
At least one person said they have already used this hack: “I’ve done this so many times, here in Bangalore. Very fun, just book Uber.”
