Weekenders On Your Way To Nandi Hills, Park Your Vehicles at The Foothills!

As per a recent meeting conducted by the Horticulture Department, access of private vehicles to the hilltop region of Nandi Hills will soon be banned to avoid traffic congestion. Upon inspiring from the Forest Department’s model implemented at Himavad Gopalaswamy Betta, this decision was concluded at a meeting chaired by Principal Secretary of the Horticulture Department.

Why This Decision?

The winding road leading to the summit of Nandi Hills, a much-frequented Bengaluru hotspot observes painful traffic congestions, especially over the weekends. The primary reason behind this action is to protect the green areas of Nandi Hills and to avoid massive traffic jams along the uphill roads. Although tourist footfall is manageable during weekdays, the weekend crowd tends to multiply four times. 

Nandi Authorities Speak

Quoting Dr M Jagadeesh, Joint Director (Parks and Gardens), Horticulture Department, “We recently conducted a meeting that was chaired by the principal secretary of the horticulture department and attended by the Deputy Commissioner of Chikkaballapur, Director of Horticulture Department, Special Officer for Nandi Hills and KSRTC MD Shivayogi Kalasad. The department secretary has initiated the move to build an alternate parking area in the foothills. We have requested the district administration of Chikkaballapur to locate a suitable area. Once located, we will implement a traffic ban on weekends.”

Dr Jagadeesh also added, “Vehicles can easily be parked in the designated parking space on top of the hill. But on weekends, especially on second Saturdays, the rush multiplies fourfold, and the existing parking space on the top cannot accommodate all the vehicles. As a result of this, vehicles enter the parks and garden areas. We want to keep the vehicles outside the green areas on the top of the hill”.

What's The New Procedure?

This means that you may have to park private vehicles at the foothills and then travel to the top in a designated Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) bus. In this regard, the Principal Secretary has also instructed Chikkaballapur DC to finalise an alternative parking area at the foothills.

What are your thoughts on this move by the Horticulture Department? Drop your opinions in the comments below!