Bengaluru goes ghost-town ahead of Diwali; commuters surprised by empty roads

Bengaluru: With thousands of residents travelling out for the festival, Bengaluru has seen an unprecedented drop in traffic congestion. Once infamous for long gridlocks on key routes, the city now experiences unusually calm streets.

A commuter noted, “Umm, half of Bangalore is empty, which means I can reach Indiranagar in 15 mins, MG Road in 20 mins, and the airport in an hour. But what am I doing instead? Going to my client’s office for a meeting.”

Social media reflects the emptiness

Several social media users highlighted the stark contrast compared to the previous week:

“Right now, all the Tier 1 cities are practically empty… everyone’s packed up and left for their hometowns to celebrate Diwali 2025.”

“Deepavali guys stayed, Diwali guys left. Khali khali roads is a bliss.”

However, some residents noted that not all areas were empty, pointing out that parts of Bellandur Road and Jayanagar still experienced traffic.

Travel advisory and past congestion

Authorities had earlier issued advisories for heavy outbound traffic on Hebbal, Mysuru Road, and Hosur Road, anticipating long queues. Just days ago, motorists were stuck for nearly two hours covering 12 km due to a bus breakdown on the Outer Ring Road.

The temporary calm has offered residents faster commutes and a rare glimpse of Bengaluru without its usual congestion. While some enjoy the quieter streets, others have raised concerns about potential economic impacts on shops, malls, and state GST collection during the festival period.