Infosys co-founder Kris Gopalakrishnan on Monday highlighted worsening traffic and infrastructure problems in Bengaluru after a 31 km trip took him nearly two and a half hours.
reigniting a public debate over the city’s chronic commuting challenges.
“31 km took two and a half hours today. It is only becoming worse. Traffic conditions of roads and poor discipline,” Gopalakrishnan wrote on X (formerly Twitter), drawing widespread reactions from residents.
Residents reports similar or worse delays
Social media users responded quickly, sharing personal accounts that mirrored the tech veteran’s frustration. “It’s turning into a nightmare lately. My 28 km commute last week took 3 hours!! We need to switch to remote till roads, rules and enforcement fall in place,” one user posted in reply to Gopalakrishnan.
“Driving in Bangalore is a nightmare. It’s a man-made disaster,” another wrote. While a third claimed far worse congestion during rains: “Unfortunately, sir, that is still not in the top 10 worst traffic times. The horror stories go as far as 3 hours for 5 km during rainy days.”
Systemic causes, Daily tolls
Commenters blamed a mix of factors for the gridlock — inadequate road capacity, poor lane discipline, unchecked vehicle growth, and failing drainage that amplifies problems during monsoon rains. One user offered a broader diagnosis: “31 km in 2.5 hours says a lot about how daily commuting stress is silently eating time and energy. It’s not just traffic — it’s a mix of road capacity, unmanaged growth, poor lane discipline, and too many vehicles for the same space.”
Another resident underlined the human cost: “You are doing good. I’m doing 2 hrs for 8 km,” while others warned that once long delays become normalised, public pressure for systemic fixes evaporates.
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Calls for enforcement and planning
Many commenters urged stricter traffic enforcement, improved lane discipline, and better urban planning to address the underlying causes. “We need to switch to remote till roads, rules and enforcement fall in place,” one social media user suggested, echoing wider calls for immediate policy attention.
Gopalakrishnan’s post reopened conversations about Bengaluru’s long-standing mobility problems and the urgent need for coordinated infrastructure, traffic management and drainage improvements to prevent daily commutes from eating into residents’ time and quality of life.
