MP’s Bengaluru Traffic Meltdown Goes Viral; Mixed Online Reactions Highlight 112 Helpline, Peak-Hour Reality & City’s Deeper Woes

Bengaluru: Samajwadi Party MP Rajeev Rai on Sunday publicly criticised Bengaluru’s traffic management after being stuck for over an hour on his way to Kempegowda International Airport, alleging that the gridlock left him at the risk of missing his flight to Delhi for the Parliament session scheduled for Monday.

Rai took to X to tag Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, calling the city’s traffic system “the worst” and accusing the police of being “irresponsible” and “useless”. The MP posted a screenshot showing multiple unanswered calls to the city’s traffic helpline.

In his post, Rai wrote: “Hon’ble @CMofKarnataka I’m sorry but you have the worst traffic management, and most irresponsible, useless traffic police. They don’t even pick up phone calls… Last one hour we are stuck at same place on Rajkumar Samadhi Road, going to miss flight, tomorrow I have to attend Parliament session. Not a single policeman is seen around.”

He added that “inefficient officers” were damaging the reputation of Bengaluru, claiming the city’s gridlocks had earned it the tag of “most notorious traffic”.

Though the Karnataka government and the Bengaluru traffic police are yet to issue an official response to the MP’s allegations, netizens quickly responded to the post.

The MP’s outburst triggered a wave of mixed reactions online with users on X sharply divided over whether to sympathise with him or school him. Several users pointed out that Rai had been dialling the wrong numbers and should have simply called 112, with many insisting that Bengaluru’s emergency helpline responds “within minutes” and alerts ground staff swiftly. Some even said it was “strange” that a Member of Parliament was unaware of the centralised emergency system.

Others dismissed Rai’s complaint as VIP entitlement, saying he should have planned better for travel on a Sunday peak hour, when airport routes are notoriously congested. “Leave early like a common man instead of wanting special treatment,” one user wrote, while another remarked that Bengaluru’s traffic “treats everyone equally”.

Many users used the moment to comment on deeper governance issues, claiming the MP had tagged the “wrong person” because CM Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar were too busy in their internal power struggle to address public grievances. Some said that if even an MP couldn’t get help, ordinary residents were worse off, “Imagine the fate of the people living here,” one comment read.

A section of users also brought up long-standing structural concerns, arguing that Bengaluru’s problems stem from over-centralised development, rapid population inflow and the concentration of major companies in the city. They urged the Karnataka government to move IT parks and corporate hubs to tier-2 and tier-3 cities, backed by infrastructure such as airports, hospitals and schools. One user said, “We don’t need big cities. We need a big economy.”

Some shared personal frustrations, including issues like PG owners not refunding security deposits, lack of police support and migrants from UP and Bihar struggling in the city. Another user demanded that the MP “raise this lootera culture in Parliament”.

Amid the heated exchanges, a few voices questioned why people online were attacking Rai rather than acknowledging a universal problem. They noted a broader trend of forming opinions based on nativity, political bias or social status rather than the issue itself.

Yet, a handful of users defended the Bengaluru traffic police, sharing their own positive experiences of quick responses to complaints ranging from wrong parking to accident clearing, often within 5-10 minutes of dialling 112.

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