Only in Bengaluru: Google Maps shows it's faster to walk than drive 6 km in IT capital

Sometimes, it is quicker to walk than to drive from point A to B in Bengaluru.

Google Maps has confirmed what many Bengaluru residents already know to be true - sometimes, it is quicker to walk than to drive from point A to B in the Silicon Valley of India.

Traffic jam on one side of the Mysuru Road as private vehicle drivers' call for a city-wide bandh over their various demands, in Bengaluru. (ANI)

Commuters lose hours of productivity every day while stuck in Bengaluru’s infamous traffic jams. The city’s transformation into the IT capital of India brought thousands of professionals to Bengaluru - but its infrastructure is ill-equipped to deal with the influx. Rapid urbanisation, poor planning, limited public transport options are just some reasons behind Bengaluru’s congested roads and peak-hour traffic.

X user Ayush Singh yesterday shared a Google Maps screenshot which shows the time it takes to walk vs the time it takes to drive from Brigade Metropolis to KR Puram Railway Station - a distance of approximately 6 km.

According to his screenshot, driving between the two points would take a person 44 minutes. Contrary to what one might expect, walking would be marginally quicker at 42 minutes.

“This happens only in Bangalore,” Singh wrote while sharing the screenshot.

Take a look at the post:

His post is going steadily viral with over 3 lakh views in a day on the microblogging platform.

While many agreed that Bengaluru’s traffic is tiring, others countered his “only in Bengaluru” narrative.

“Same story across many metro cities in the world,” wrote one person in the comments section.

“Mumbai and Delhi also have the same situation during peak,” X user Abhilash said.

One person called Bengaluru the “Traffic Capital of India.” On the other hand, some encouraged Singh to take public transport to avoid choked roads.

Yesterday, a Bengaluru-based CEO posted a solution to deal with the city’s traffic. Paras Chopra borrowed an idea from Beijing where commuters stuck in traffic can dial in a ‘rescue’ for $60. Thereafter, a person on a motorbike would pick up the stranded commuter, while another would drive his car back safely to its destination.