For the first time in weeks, there were traffic jams on Mysuru Road on Tuesday morning after the police blocked Minerva Circle and J.C. Road on Tuesday. Hundreds of vehicles piled up on KR Market Junction and the snarl extended to Majestic area, Anand Rao Circle and Palace Road. The traffic police had a tough time clearing the roads.
The lockdown and barricading of roads were intensified after Director General and Inspector General of Police Praveen Sood sought an explanation from Police Commissioner Bhaskar Rao over increased vehicular movement in the city over the last few days.
With many roads barricaded and unmanned, people in essential services who had to commute to work said they were driving around in circles looking for exits.
“I took as much time to reach work as I did during pre-lockdown times,” said an employee engaged in essential services who was driving from Banashankari to Shivajinagar.
Police Commissioner Bhaskar Rao said that despite extension of prohibitory orders to enforce lockdown, motorists were travelling without e-permits. “We have come across several cases of people misusing the passes issued for emergency purposes. The police have been directed to seize the passes if they find motorists misusing them and plying unnecessarily,” said Mr. Rao.