Public movement affected near City Railway Station

Mysore/Mysuru: With the number of vehicles steadily rising across Mysuru, traffic congestion has become a daily struggle. Ironically, officials responsible for ensuring smooth public movement — Police and civic authorities — are at times contributing to inconvenience.

One such bottleneck lies near the KSRTC bus shelter on Irwin Road, opposite J.K. Grounds and close to Babu Jagjivan Ram Circle near the City Railway Station. Autorickshaws frequently halt directly in front of the shelter to pick up passengers, leaving little space for KSRTC city buses arriving from Dasappa Circle.

As a result, buses are forced to stop in the middle of the road, severely disrupting traffic from K.R. Hospital and Jagjivan Ram Circle and causing hardship to commuters. Despite the constant Police presence at the Circle, autorickshaws continue to park in front of the shelter without restraint, normalising the practice. Rail passengers arriving at Mysuru City Junction face difficulty accessing city buses to reach their neighbourhoods.

Parked Police vehicles at Devaraja Mohalla

In Devaraja Mohalla, near Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Bhavan, Police vehicles from the Devaraja Civil and Traffic Stations are parked on both sides of the Krishna Vilas Road footpaths, blocking pedestrian movement. Residents say this forces walkers — including school and college students — onto the road, increasing the risk of accidents.

Due to limited space within the Station premises, vehicles seized in traffic violations and criminal cases are often parked along roadside footpaths, adding to public frustration.

Encroachments are also reported on several major roads, including Sayyaji Rao Road, Ashoka Road, Irwin Road, B.N. Road, Rama Vilas Road, Ramanuja Road, D. Devaraj Urs Road, Dhanvanthri Road and Shivarampet Road. With footpaths obstructed, pedestrians are left with no option but to walk along busy stretches.

Many citizens believe that if the Mysuru City Corporation, with support from the Police, undertakes a systematic clearance of encroachments, pedestrian safety and mobility would improve significantly.

Solution in phased manner

Speaking about the situation near the KSRTC bus shelter opposite J.K. Grounds, Narasimharaja Traffic Station Inspector Rekhabai said, “We are aware of autorickshaws halting in front of the bus shelter near the railway station circle. Traffic police on duty are actively clearing these vehicles, and violators are being brought to the station. We are addressing the issue in a phased manner.”

On the issue of footpath encroachments near Krishna Vilas Road, Devaraja Traffic Police Inspector Mamatha clarified, “Parking seized vehicles on both sides of the footpath near our station is unavoidable due to space constraints. Most of these vehicles were impounded by the Devaraja Law and Order Station. Both stations are working together to find alternative arrangements to resolve this issue.”

Civic groups have urged coordinated and sustained action between the Police and municipal authorities to restore safe, accessible public spaces.