Daughter's school bus takes 2 hours to cover 2 km in Bengaluru; parent says 'completely helpless'

A Bengaluru father’s account of his daughter’s school bus taking two hours to travel just 2 km on the Varthur-Gunjur road has sparked concern online. Other parents have shared similar experiences, calling for safer roads and better traffic management in the city.

A Bengaluru father's account of his daughter’s school bus taking two hours to cover just 2 km on the Varthur-Gunjur road has sparked concern online, with other parents sharing similar experiences of traffic congestion in the area.

Bengaluru resident Hari described feeling “completely helpless” as his daughter remained stuck in the school bus.

“Today my daughter’s school bus took 2 hours to travel just 2 km in Varthur/Gunjur road. For those 2 hours, I sat there as a parent feeling completely helpless," Hari wrote on X.

He said he and his wife pay lakhs in taxes every month and had taken a home loan to live close to their daughter’s school, hoping to give her a safer and easier commute. “And yet, this is what “2 km from school” means here,” he wrote.

‘Please give our children a safe road’

Hari also referred to incidents he said residents had witnessed over the past year, including a school bus toppling, a woman suffering serious injuries after a fall and a biker nearly losing his life after falling because of a pothole.

“Every day, ordinary people here tweet, email, complain, follow up and plead with authorities. We are not activists. We are not fighting for a political party. We are parents, employees, families and taxpayers asking for one basic thing: Please give our children a safe road to come home on.”

He added, “Today, more than the traffic, what broke me was the feeling that despite doing everything a responsible citizen is supposed to do, I had absolutely no power to protect my own child.”

More parents share similar experiences

Bengaluru-based entrepreneur Ritish Reddy also posted about the traffic situation on September 17. The co-founder and CEO of Zluri shared a video showing a traffic jam stretching for several kilometres in the Varthur-Gunjur area.

“2+ hours. Every single day. That's how long kids from Whitefield spend on Varthur Road for a 5km commute,” Reddy wrote on X.

“My own daughter is stuck right now as I post this. Whitefield deserves better than this,” he said.

According to a report in The Hindu, Bengaluru Traffic Police sources attributed the congestion to ongoing infrastructure work in the area.

The situation prompted other users to discuss traffic management, road blockages and infrastructure in Bengaluru. One user suggested making work-from-home mandatory where possible, while another said her daughter’s journey on the same route had recently stretched from the usual 3:30 pm arrival to 5:30 pm.

“We also need CSR funds for these areas, for these purposes to ensure we all can commute daily without hassles. It is only getting worse,” another user wrote.

About the Author

Anjali Thakur is a Senior Assistant Editor with Mint, reporting on trending news, entertainment and health, with a focus on stories driving digital conversations. Her work involves spotting early signals across news cycles and social media, sharpening stories for SEO and Google Discover, and mentoring young editors in digital-first newsroom practices. She is known for turning fast-moving developments—whether news-driven or culture-led—into clear, tightly edited journalism without compromising editorial rigour.<br><br> Before joining Mint, she was Deputy News Editor at NDTV.com, where she led the Trending section and covered viral news, breaking developments and human-interest stories. She has also worked as Chief Sub-Editor at India.com (Zee Media) and as Senior Correspondent with Exchange4media and Hindustan Times’ HT City, reporting on media, advertising, entertainment, health, lifestyle and popular culture.<br><br> Anjali holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Miranda House, and is currently pursuing an MBA, strengthening her understanding of business strategy and digital media economics. Her writing balances newsroom discipline with a clear instinct for what resonates with readers.

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