Bengaluru
oi-Madhuri Adnal
Parents living in Varthur, Gunjur and areas around Whitefield are once again raising concerns over worsening traffic on the Varthur Gunjur corridor, with school buses taking more than two hours to cover distances of just a few kilometres during peak school hours.
The issue came to the fore after several residents and commuters shared their experiences on social media, highlighting long traffic jams, poor road conditions and the difficulties faced by school buses travelling through the area.
Traffic congestion on the Varthur-Gunjur corridor forces school buses to take over two hours for short commutes. Residents cite poor road conditions and delays in Karnataka Road Development Corporation Limited’s widening project, demanding urgent traffic management and repairs.
Ritish Reddy, Co-Founder and CEO of Zlur, posted on X about the problem, saying children travelling from Whitefield were spending more than two hours every day on a five kilometre commute along Varthur Road. He said his own daughter was stuck in traffic at the time of his post.
Another commuter said a 9 km journey from Bellandur to Varthur took two hours, citing severe congestion, broken roads, muddy stretches and buses stuck in traffic.
The problem becomes particularly severe during school arrival and dispersal hours, when a large number of school buses, private vehicles and other traffic use the same stretch.
2+ hours. Every single day. Thats how long kids from Whitefield spend on Varthur Road for a 5km commute. My own daughter is stuck right now as I post this. Whitefield deserves better than this. @blrcitytraffic @DKShivakumar @krishnabgowda @PCMohanMP @MALimbavali #Varthur pic.twitter.com/GMXfG5mrsS
— Ritish Reddy (@itsritish) September 17, 2026
Parents say children are being left inside school buses for extended periods, sometimes spending more than two hours travelling home after school.
A corridor carrying schools, homes and offices
The Varthur-Gunjur stretch has changed considerably over the past decade, with large residential communities, schools, offices and construction projects coming up across the area.
Several schools are located on or around the wider corridor, resulting in a significant increase in school bus movement during peak hours.
Children twiddling thumbs in school buses.
Everyday for more than 2 hours. The infamous Varthur – Gunjur stretch has schools, huge high rises and IT companies.
The widening of SH 35 has been in the works for close to 2 decades.
When will Bangalore listen? @MALimbavali… https://t.co/RtVgPglZxk
— Whitefield Rising (@WFRising) September 17, 2026
A group of parents and residents currently working on a joint representation estimates that 15 to 20 or more schools could be using the broader corridor, with potentially 15,000 to 25,000 students and 200 to 300 school buses affected.
The figures are planning estimates prepared by the parent group and are not based on an official traffic count.
Started from Bellandur for Varthur.9 km. 2 hours. This is the horrific reality of commuting through Varthur, Bengaluru.Broken roads, muddy stretches, severe congestion and buses stuck in traffic. This is not normal and needs urgent action. Horrible situation of this area!! pic.twitter.com/HYSDshF6Jg
— Shubham (@wanderer_8) September 17, 2026
For parents, however, the daily queues of school buses are evidence of the scale of the problem. They say the combination of school traffic, residential traffic, commercial vehicles and ongoing construction has made the road increasingly difficult to navigate.
The road condition is adding to the problem
Traffic is not the only concern.
Residents have also complained about potholes, damaged road surfaces, loose gravel, dust, muddy sections and poor street lighting along parts of the corridor.
Rain makes matters worse, with water collecting in potholes and some stretches becoming muddy. Parents say these conditions make the journey particularly difficult for school buses, which have to negotiate damaged sections while already dealing with heavy traffic.
Residents have also shared images of people attempting to fill deep potholes themselves using stones, saying they were forced to intervene because of the condition of the road.
The problem was raised more than a decade ago
The traffic problem on the Varthur Gunjur corridor is not new.
In 2015, reports highlighted severe congestion on the Varthur Gunjur Sarjapur stretch, with around 200 school buses and 100 lorries reportedly being affected. More than 1,500 parents had signed a petition at the time seeking action.
The concerns were similar to those being raised today, including the movement of heavy vehicles during school hours and the impact of congestion on school buses.
@blrcitytraffic full deadlock in gunjur road during school hours. Varthur traffic police blocked all turns causing more traffic as buss need to take u turn. All this happens during exam time. pic.twitter.com/bGD3edRoLR
— Gaurav Pattanayak (@gauravpattnyk) September 17, 2026
Heavy vehicle restrictions were also introduced during peak periods following representations from residents and parents.
A 2025 report again highlighted congestion on the Varthur Gunjur road and restrictions on large goods carriers during peak hours. Despite such measures, residents continued to report severe traffic problems on the corridor.
The Karnataka Road Development Corporation Limited is carrying out widening work on the Varthur Gunjur stretch as part of the larger infrastructure plans for the corridor. The project has, however, faced delays and changes to its completion timeline.
According to project information updated in September 2026, the Varthur Gunjur project has missed earlier completion targets, with December 2026 reported as the latest target.
For residents, the continuing infrastructure work is also contributing to the present traffic situation, with construction vehicles, diversions, barricades and road works operating alongside regular traffic.
Parents say they understand that the widening work is necessary but want traffic to be managed more effectively until the project is completed.
Parents seek action during school hours
The latest joint representation by parents and residents calls for immediate measures on the Varthur Gunjur Whitefield corridor.
One of the main requests is stricter enforcement of existing restrictions on heavy goods vehicles during school peak hours. The group has also asked authorities to examine whether construction vehicles, water tankers and other heavy vehicles can be regulated during school arrival and dispersal periods.
The representation also seeks urgent repairs to potholes and damaged sections, attention to drainage related deterioration and better management of road conditions around ongoing construction work.
Parents have called for a joint inspection involving Bengaluru Traffic Police, KRDCL, the relevant civic authority, schools and representatives of affected residents.
They want the authorities to identify the major bottlenecks and introduce temporary traffic measures that can reduce congestion while the larger road project is underway.
Traffic arrangements at Gunjur also under scrutiny
Residents have separately raised concerns about traffic management around Gunjur during school hours.
One recent complaint claimed that traffic police had blocked certain turns, forcing buses to make U turns and contributing to further congestion on the road.
Parents said the situation becomes especially difficult during examination periods, when school buses need to reach schools and residential communities within fixed time windows.
With the corridor already operating under heavy traffic, parents argue that traffic diversions and restrictions need to be planned around school timings rather than adding to the existing congestion.
According to the group coordinating the latest representation, more than 3,500 parents and residents have supported the request for action.
Their demands focus on three immediate areas: road repairs, traffic management and regulation of heavy vehicles during school hours.
The group has also referred to the fact that similar concerns were raised by more than 1,500 parents in 2015, arguing that the continuing complaints show that the issue requires coordinated intervention rather than temporary traffic measures.
The Varthur Gunjur corridor has seen substantial residential and commercial development over the years, but road infrastructure and traffic management have struggled to keep up with the increase in vehicles.
For families using the road every day, the immediate concern is the amount of time children are spending travelling between home and school. Parents are now asking the traffic police, KRDCL and civic authorities to address the existing problems while the long awaited infrastructure work continues.
