Bengaluru’s notorious traffic isn’t just testing the patience of commuters—it’s also sparking complaints in Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar’s own household. Speaking during a legislative council session on Thursday, Shivakumar admitted his children often rebuke him for the city’s worsening congestion and crumbling road network. Comparing Bengaluru unfavorably to New Delhi, he noted that the city’s road dimensions have barely changed since founder Kempegowda’s era, while vehicle numbers have surged. Journeys of just 10–15 km can stretch to six or seven hours, he said, adding that even high court judges have voiced frustration over 45-minute commutes from Hebbal. The scale of the crisis is daunting: over 1.2 crore registered vehicles, plus an estimated 40 lakh entering daily from surrounding districts. Responding to BJP MLC CT Ravi’s estimate that residents lose 117 hours a year in traffic, Shivakumar warned that the problem is escalating rapidly. With road-widening now impractical due to steep land prices, he proposed expanding elevated corridors and constructing double-decker flyovers as potential long-term fixes. Still, the debate rages on between investing in more roads versus boosting mass transit, such as the metro, for sustainable urban mobility. Meanwhile, incomplete flyovers, stalled metro segments, and delayed road projects continue to paralyze movement. Poor drainage leaves pothole-filled roads waterlogged during monsoons, worsening bottlenecks and exposing a wide gap between planning and execution. For many residents, Bengaluru’s daily gridlock feels less like an inconvenience and more like a permanent feature of city life.