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What’s the problem?

• The Government of Karnataka plans to start construction of 75 kilometres more of flyovers in Bengaluru.
• The alignment of these flyovers is flawed. There is not enough reason to build them. They will not improve traffic. Several experts have opposed the flyovers, yet the government has ignored them and is planning to go ahead with construction.
• These flyovers cut through the city, most notably through Indiranagar 100 Feet Road, where white topping was completed just one year ago after much delay by the same government. The flyover construction will require digging up the new road again.
• The flyovers will create more problems than they solve.

What problems does the construction of a flyover create?

Construction of flyovers within a city creates many well-documented problems. Most of us would prefer not to live facing a flyover, as it is dark and noisy. We have plenty of examples in our city itself of flyovers and the problems they cause, and it’s time to learn from them. Here are some of the major problems caused by flyovers:

• Social decay. A flyover splits the area into two, making it hard to cross the road for people and vehicles. This changes the behaviour of people and businesses.
• Economic damage. During construction, businesses will suffer. After construction, due to noise and darkness, everything under the flyover will not be attractive for rentals.
• Worse traffic. Traffic will be worse during construction due to reduced road width, on the main road as well as the connecting neighbourhood roads. By the time the construction is completed, the vehicular population of Bengaluru will have increased, and the flyover design will not be sufficient.
• Health issues. We know that exposure to dust and noise is bad for health. Construction of the flyovers will take a minimum of two years and may go on for decades due to delays. Once construction is done, fast-moving vehicles and smoke will continue to impact the stretch.
• Road safety. Flyovers are notoriously harmful in creating dangerous junctions. Flyovers encourage vehicles to go faster and don’t provide space for pedestrians, creating potentially fatal conflict points.
• Energy. Living under a flyover is tiring. Quality of life will reduce, and people will slowly leave.

There are many other issues

• Two-wheelers (82% of Bengaluru’s vehicles) will not be allowed on the flyover.
• The flyover will be tolled.
• The flyover was designed without any study.
• The budget has no provision for pedestrian crossing.

Why are we against it?

• There is no evidence for building these specific flyovers. The Detailed Project Report prepared by the government as evidence for these flyovers is wrong and incomplete.
• Flyovers will make traffic worse, so this project is a waste of taxpayer money and time.

What is B-SMILE?

• They are an unelected body of engineers who previously worked at the BBMP. They are responsible for many delayed infrastructure projects like white topping.
• They have designed and proposed the elevated corridor projects on behalf of the Government of Karnataka, and without public consultation.
• Since they are unelected, they cannot be held accountable to the public.

What is BMLTA?

It is what we should have instead of B-SMILE.

Bengaluru Metropolitan Land Transport Authority (BMLTA) is a missing government body responsible for planning and coordinating transport in Bengaluru.

Right now, and for about the last 50 years, there has been nobody who has planned Bengaluru city, its transport or its growth.

What is an elevated corridor?

It’s a phrase created by B-SMILE and refers to a chain of multiple flyovers. We reject this phrasing, and will call the flyovers flyovers in this document.

Who are we?

We are ordinary residents of the city — your neighbours, students, working professionals and lifelong lovers of Bengaluru. The one thing that unites us for this cause is the shared passion to see a beautiful future of this city we call home. We are not affiliated to any political or vested interests. We only have one stake, which is the liveability, sustainability and soul of our metropolis.

Our grievance

Bengaluru’s traffic is unbearable. However, the Government’s solution to tackle this issue defies logic. On August 14, 2026, multiple tenders worth INR 13,000 crores were awarded by Bengaluru Smart Infrastructure Limited (B-SMILE). This is a special-purpose company created by the Karnataka government to fix traffic and build large projects in Bengaluru. This is an unelected body of civil engineers with a proven track record of incompetence and a history of ignoring urban experts.

These massive flyover projects lack any scientific basis and are backed by a Detailed Project Report (DPR) prepared after a mere single day of traffic analysis, containing 6,789 factual errors. Furthermore, the BMLTA Act was recently amended to clear the legal hurdles standing in their way. This multi-thousand-crore misadventure was pushed through without public consultation, ignoring cheaper, healthier alternatives, and actively dismantling the progressive strides made toward walkability, bus lanes, and sustainable urban planning.

Core principle and vision

We acknowledge that the Government has identified the right problem — Bengaluru traffic is terrible. This issue affects our productivity and wellbeing. However, building these flyovers will catastrophically worsen the already terrible state of affairs. We believe in evidence-based urban planning. Bengaluru is home to globally renowned institutions such as the Sustainable Transportation Lab at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc). They have conducted extensive research proving that funding public transport, walking, cycling and rational road-space allocation yields far superior results rather than building more elevated concrete corridors.

Our vision is a genuinely sustainable Bengaluru that prioritises people over private vehicles, green spaces over grey infrastructure, and democratic participation over bureaucratic fiat. We want to realise the true promise of “Brand Bengaluru”, a city that feels fresh, inspiring and humane.

Our demands

1. Cancel the tenders. The proposed flyovers will make traffic congestion worse. Stop work on this project immediately.
2. Reallocate the budget. Within 90 days, reallocate the ₹13,000 crore budget on useful mobility projects based on IISc guidance.
3. Follow the process. Dissolve B-SMILE and instate the Bengaluru Metropolitan Land Transport Authority (BMLTA) immediately.

Call to action

Hon’ble Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar, you are uniquely positioned to stop this disaster and align your administration’s action with your state’s vision for a progressive and sustainable city. To our fellow Bengalureans, we urge you to step forward and raise your voice and join our peaceful movement to save our city’s future. We remind every participant that our demonstration must remain law-abiding, peaceful and constructive. We demand accountability from our government, and we will make our voices heard with dignity and resolve.