Bengaluru: Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palikes RS 2.5-Crore LED lighting project on the 185-meter-long twin-Röhrzende near the Magadi Road Great Gate, West Bengaluru, it was not a lot of pleasure with drivers. Regular users of the underpass say that the excessively bright LED lights cause serious glare and make driving on night difficult and risky.
The elegant, cross-painted LED strip lights were developed to transform the underpass into a visual spectacle, and create geometric patterns that brighten the room and give it an artistic flair. Inspired by designs in cities like Dubai and Hyderabad, the project is intended to put the typical secular pendulum traffic to the fore.
But for bikers and drivers who walk through the route at night, reality is anything but ideal. “The lights are so intense that they hit their eyes directly. It is difficult to focus, especially if they are on a two -wheeler,” said Scharar Rao, who uses the underpass every day.
Rajath Lakshmesha, another commuter, said: “It looks great on social media, but on the way it is a nightmare. The view of the lights is so sharp that I have to slow down or protect my eyes. It is more of a distraction than a help.”
The citizens have questioned the logic behind the expenditure of RS 2.5 crore for decorative lighting when the city has to deal with pothole streets, aqueous underpasses and crumbling citizen infrastructures. “There is no money for basic repairs, but CRORES is issued so that an underpass looks chic,” said Karthik Kumar, a resident of Vijayanagar.
BBMP engineers said this was a pilot project that aims to improve the city's urban landscape. They used ACP (aluminum composite panel) on the walls that take 10 years and should resist dust, water and smoke. “The idea was to avoid annual new painting and create a visually appealing public space,” said Prakash, Executive Engineer of the Govindarajanagar division.
However, mobility experts are not convinced. Mukund Singh, a transport specialist, said that the civic corporation had ignored the security in persecution of aesthetics. “These LED lights are a distraction. There is a reason why the Indian street congress of sodium steam lamps prefer to offer a full 360-degree light distribution in contrast to LEDs that results only 180 degrees.
Singh also claimed that BBMP's decision to choose LED lighting about more functional alternatives seems to be commercially powered. “It's all about show and shine. Long -term public interest and security took a back seat,” he added.
Ashish Verma, an expert in urban mobility and professor at the IISC, said: “LED lights can be particularly distracting when night driving. A look, especially in combination with headlight reflection, can hit your eyes directly. Bloating is a serious problem – it can cause temporary blindness.