Mr Fix-it lifts a flyover laid low

Mr Fix-it lifts a flyover laid low
By: Durgesh Kumar Y & Sridhar Vivan

After his car wheels were badly mangled, Johnson returned to cover the crater



The Richmond Circle flyover is once again in the news for the wrong reasons. It is witnessing unusual jams (sometimes stretching up to 30 minutes) these days just because of a single pothole. Located in the middle of the flyover, the pothole not only damages vehicles, but also causes injuries and miseries to motorists. With BBMP refusing to act, a Bangalorean, whose car was badly damaged by the pothole, has picked up the slack!

Johnson Rodrigues, 34, a manager with a hotel, was driving to his Wilson Garden home on Monday night when his car accidentally landed in the pothole. “I couldn't see the pothole as it was raining heavily on Monday night. My Tata Indica car wheels hit the crater with a huge bang. So I had to rush the car to a garage first thing on Tuesday morning. The mechanic greeted me by asking whether the car had hit a pothole. He said it will take a day for repairs as my wheel rims as well as rear suspension had been damaged. This was when I realised I had to do something on my own to close the pothole, and prevent a repeat for others.”



ACTION-PACKED RETURN

So the civic-minded Johnson took his two-wheeler (Honda Activa) and headed straight to the flyover. “It was around 10 am and I could instantly see how the pothole was once again playing the villain. A Hyundai I10 car driver saw the crater very late and had to slam on the emergency brakes. Three two-wheelers, which were following him (as the road is narrow) in a line, dutifully bumped into each other. From there, it was anarchy.

While the third two-wheeler rider fell and sustained minor injuries, the driver was furious that his car was damaged. An argument ensued, which led to another huge traffic pile-up. Shockingly, the Pulsar (which had bumped into the car) was hit by a Discover bike. In an eerie scene, the bike’s front wheel was wedged in the narrow space between the Pulsar's rear wheel and silencer. The force of the collision was such that the Discover bike’s wheel couldn’t be easily separated,” Johnson said.

Johnson first calmed down the car driver and then set about helping the bikers. “So me and an onlooker came with the idea to release air from the Discover bike's front wheel. As the tyre deflated, we were able to dislodge the wheel. But my job was only half done as I had to do something immediately to prevent further damage to the vehicles.

I scoured the flyover to find something to fill the pothole, and luckily spotted a stone, some gravel, and sand. I carried them one after another to the pothole in whatever containers I could grab. After a 30-minute long operation, the pothole was covered. Vehicles then started moving smoothly. But I know it is only a temporary job as rains are pounding the city. I just hope the BBMP wakes up to help motorists,” he added.

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