Bengaluru’s traffic nightmare isn’t just a meme: Nikhil Kamath asks if VIPs are above the law, Police explain why it’s getting worse

Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath confronted Bengaluru’s most pressing issue—its traffic—during the latest episode of his podcast, WTF Is. Speaking with Commissioner of Police B. Dayananda and Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) M.N. Anucheth, Kamath did not hold back. He said, “I am from Bangalore. I hate all the hate that is coming for Bangalore. I want Bangalore to look nice somehow.

He also raised a pointed question that resonates with many citizens: are VIPs above traffic rules? The question was left hanging, but what followed was a sharp, data-rich unpacking of the city’s congested reality.

A City choking on growth

Anucheth explained how the tech boom transformed Bengaluru. “The thing with Bengaluru has been that post-2000 after the IT boom, there has been a significant explosive growth and the infrastructure has not commensurately grown with the growth of vehicles or the human population,” he said.


Today, Bengaluru has one of the highest vehicle densities in the country. “Bangalore has 1.23 crore registered vehicles for a population of 1.5 crore; that's 872 vehicles per 1,000 people, more than Mumbai or Delhi!” said Anucheth.

That number has doubled in a decade. Between 2013 and 2023, the compounded annual growth rate of vehicles in the city was 8 percent. Meanwhile, the roads stayed largely the same.

Memes, misery and monsoons

For many, Bengaluru’s traffic has become a running joke online. But behind the memes lies a daily grind: hours spent in bottlenecks, especially during office hours. The city currently ranks third in the TomTom Traffic Index. On average, it takes over 34 minutes to travel just 10 kilometres.

The reasons, however, are not just about too many cars.

Anucheth highlighted structural flaws: “Unlike cities like Delhi that have dedicated terminals for trucks, Bengaluru lacks a proper peripheral road network. As a result, heavy goods vehicles often enter city roads, clogging up main junctions and flyovers.”

Then there’s the rain. “Waterlogging has been a major factor every monsoon in Bangalore that creates major traffic issues. The drainage infrastructure is outdated which is making things worse for commuters and also impossible for traffic police to manage,” he added.

One metro line, seventeen percent relief

When asked what could fix it, Anucheth was clear. “Historically Bangalore has this problem of lack of public transport facilities. The only public transport facilities before the metro came in was the BMTC buses unlike other cities like in Kolkata you have the trams, in Delhi you have the metro, in Mumbai you have the Mumbai local, which is not the case here.”

He pointed to a recent success: “Just to give an example when the Baiyyappanahalli Line got connected to the Whitefield Line, automatically peak hour traffic reduced by 17 percent automatically. That just shows how just interlinking to this thing or how important public transport is.”

Metro: Still digging, still waiting

Kamath wasn’t convinced about the pace. He recalled the seemingly endless metro work near his home. “Near my house on Bannerghatta Road, metro construction started, I don’t know, maybe ten years ago. It’s still going on.”

In response, Anucheth acknowledged the delays but remained optimistic: “A lot of impetus is being given now to expand public transport. In the long run, it is the only sustainable solution to Bengaluru traffic problem. Implementation has taken time, but once complete, you will definitely see a significant difference.”

He added, “Once the metro becomes fully operational, not only will people have access to faster public transit, but even the road space currently occupied by construction work will open up. For example, the full ten-lane road along the Outer Ring Road will become available again. This will definitely ease congestion.”

Short-term fixes and long-term hope

While public transport is the long game, Anucheth did mention immediate interventions. “In the short term, measures like implementation of AI based signals, technology implementation (will work),” he said.

Commissioner Dayananda offered a measured response to public frustration: “Better public transport, more infrastructure investment, and smarter roads are all part of the roadmap. Complaining is easy, but solutions require time.”

Bengaluru is grappling with a challenge rooted in its own success. A booming population. A spiralling number of vehicles. And infrastructure playing catch-up.

Kamath’s blunt honesty echoes what millions feel: a city bursting at its seams. But in the words of its top traffic official, the path forward is clear. “The long-term solution to Bengaluru’s problems are public transport. Whether it’s K-Ride, suburban trains or it is a metro – whatever it is. I think that’s the way to go forward.”