A school bus carrying 20 children nearly toppled on Bengaluru’s crater-filled Panathur-Balagere road, sparking outrage among residents over poor infrastructure. The video of the incident has gone viral, highlighting civic apathy.
Bengaluru’s poor infrastructure came under sharp focus again after a school bus carrying around 20 children nearly toppled on the severely damaged Panathur-Balagere road on Friday. The bus got stuck in a massive crater filled with slush, forcing a dramatic rescue through the back door. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.
Video Sparks Public Anger
A video and photos of the incident surfaced on social media, drawing widespread outrage. Residents highlighted the irony that the same stretch of road was inspected by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar only a few months ago.
“A school bus carrying around 20 kids almost toppled on the crater-filled, slushy Panathur–Balagere road. Children had to be rescued through the back door. Ironically, CM & DyCM had visited and inspected this very stretch just a few months ago,” a social media post by a resident stated.
The video has garnered over 20,000 views, with some blaming the driver for negligence and others holding authorities responsible for poor civic works.
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A Road in Ruins
The Panathur–Balagere road, located in East Bengaluru, has long been notorious for its craters, uneven surfaces, and frequent waterlogging. The road becomes nearly impassable during rains. Despite rapid growth in nearby areas such as Varthur, Bellandur, and Sarjapur, road upgrades have not kept pace with traffic volumes.
Friday’s incident has reignited concerns over the safety of school-going children and the city’s neglected road infrastructure.
Bengaluru’s Larger Infrastructure Woes
The school bus incident reflects a broader crisis in Bengaluru’s infrastructure. Rapid urbanisation has outpaced city planning, leading to frequent flooding, dug-up roads, unfinished civic projects, and worsening traffic snarls.
Residents blame poor coordination between civic agencies, lack of accountability, and delays in infrastructure projects. Despite repeated promises of a “Brand Bengaluru” revamp and large budget allocations, basic road safety remains elusive.
Users React with Frustration
Social media users pointed out how short-lived civic works in the city are.
“Bellandur service roads topped with a thin veneer of tar with great fanfare a couple of months ago are now back to being a hellscape after a couple of showers.”
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Another resident added, “Even for this only bus driver will be blamed. Not the crater filled non-motorable roads!”
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One frustrated user wrote, “Please consider making #Bengaluru a union territory for 10 years and develop the city.”