‘We Spend More Time in the Bus Than in Class’: Bengaluru Students’ Viral Reel Calls Out City’s ‘World-Class’ Potholes | WATCH

Viral Video: If you’ve ever felt you spend more time bouncing in traffic than actually living your day, three Bengaluru schoolgirls have just turned that frustration into a viral reel.   

Three schoolgirls – Nadia, Anya and Meher – have become the unexpected voices of every Bengalurean stuck in traffic. In a reel that has now gone viral, the trio are seen squeezed into a school bus seat, filming their bumpy journey home from school.

The girls introduce themselves on camera saying, “So, this is where we spend most of our time, in this bus. I'm Nadia. I'm Anya. And I'm Meher.” Seconds later the phone jerks violently – “I promise, I didn’t fake that. These are actually the roads of Bangalore,” one of them says, recovering from the pothole jolt.

They go on to explain how they live just 14 km away from school, yet while the morning trip takes about 20 minutes, the return journey stretches to 1.5–2 hours. “We used to reach home at 3.50, now we’re reaching at 4.30. Because of that, we have to postpone extracurricular activities… it leaves us with less time to study,” they narrate. The girls also speak of the “huge emotional strain” and even physical injuries caused by the relentless bumps. “Sometimes we can literally run home faster than that. I’m not exaggerating… please help us. This cannot be the new normal,” they plead.

The reel’s authenticity struck a chord online not only because of their words but because of that mid-video bump where the phone almost slipped out of their hands, underlining their point about how dangerous the roads are. 

What Triggered the Outrage 

A school bus is said to have fallen on the Panathur–Balagere stretch just hours before this video was made public. The caption of the popular post describes the incident as "another gift from Bengaluru's 'world-class' potholes." The reel was shared on Instagram by Karnataka Portfolio, which wrote:

“This morning a school bus toppled on the Panathur–Balagere stretch — another gift from Bengaluru’s ‘world-class’ potholes. Soon after, a girl student’s video comes out, slamming the city’s craters, delays and daily risks. They spend more time bouncing in buses than in class; even their phone slipped while filming because of a pothole jolt. Despite repeated promises from @DKShivakumar, @siddaramaiah and @GBAoffic, Bengaluru’s roads still feel like off-road rally tracks for schoolchildren.”

Netizens React: From One Bus to an Entire City’s Commute

The comments poured in with a mix of sympathy, sarcasm and frustration:

One user commented: “High time there should be a window for reimbursement of medical and mechanical bills… the bumpy ride will take away the backbones of aspirants who are the backbone of our nation.” 

Another wrote, “Finally someone highlighting about the roads.” A third laughingly said, “Go in metro.”

One more quipped, “Wear helmet.”Someone questioned, “Which school is allowing kids to take phones?”

Another fumed, “Not only these areas, complete Bangalore South is neglected. Kodathi, Hosa Road, Gatahalli — pathetic roads, barely tar remains, no guilt for GBA. This was all done by BBMP.”

A frustrated user added, “This not Karnataka… nobody’s speaking Kannada.”

Why It Feels So Relatable

This reel is more than simply three girls venting to many Bengalureans. The never-ending traffic jams, dust, potholes, exhaustion, and sense of missing hours of life in cars are all reflections of their own everyday commute. 

Whether it’s a school bus, an office cab or a bike, the city’s notorious “off-road rally tracks” have become the new normal. This small clip of three students might just be the wake-up call that prompts the city to listen.

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