Walk-O-Meter Rating: 3/5
Chock-A-Block: People walk on the road as vehicles, and vendors occupy footpaths on one side, from Lalbagh Circle towards Bejai
Mangaluru: Traffic snarls, broken footpaths, haphazard parking, roadside vendors and an unscientific junction design have turned the KSRTC junction at Lalbagh into one of Mangaluru’s most chaotic traffic hotspots, making everyday commuting an ordeal for pedestrians, motorists and traders alike.Barely 500 metres from Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) office, the junction continues to suffer with several civic issues that have remained unresolved for years.A TOI reality check found the junction suffers from poor design. Also, the traffic signals do not work regularly. Vehicles approaching from Bejai towards Kuntikana, negotiate a steep turn before entering the intersection, creating frequent traffic conflicts. Footpath-related problem aggravates when the signals malfunction or when police personnel are not deployed to regulate movement.
Waste thrown on roadside near Saibeen complex, Lalbagh, making it a tough task for pedestrians to use the footpath
Pedestrian infrastructure is equally inadequate. While a footpath exists from the MCC office towards the road leading to a mall, the opposite stretch — from the Beetle Arcade to Saibeen Complex — has little or no usable footpath.TOI also found an overflowing drain along the stretch from opposite the KSRTC bus stand to Canara Bank, with wastewater often flowing on to the road.
Vehicles from all directions moving at the junction near KSRTC Bus Stand causing frequent blocks
Another major concern is the absence of a designated bus bay opposite the bus stand. Several private buses, particularly Bengaluru-bound ones, park along the roadside during the evening. KSRTC buses entering and exiting the bus stand further compounds the congestion, particularly during peak hours.
Roadside vendors and food trucks near the Mescom corporate office have encroached upon pedestrian spaces. Besides obstructing movement, they generate considerable waste.
An autorickshaw driver said the problems have persisted for years despite multiple inspections by officials. “Surveys have been conducted several times, but nothing has changed. The junction needs structural improvements rather than temporary traffic management,” he said.A shopkeeper echoed similar concerns, saying: “Pedestrians have to wade through vehicles coming from different directions. Minor accidents are common, and crossing the road becomes extremely risky whenever the signals fail,” he said.Uneven and damaged footpaths near a mall further add to the difficulties faced by senior citizensThe combination of inadequate pedestrian infrastructure, poor junction design, roadside encroachments, indiscriminate parking and weak traffic regulation has turned one of Mangaluru’s busiest intersections into a daily test of patience and safety.
