Dangling OFC claims motorist’s life in Bengaluru; locals call it a menace, seek action

BENGALURU: The menace of dangling overhead optical fibre cables and other wires has bared its deadly fangs again in Bengaluru. A 23-year-old techie was killed after his scooter got entangled with a low-hanging OFC, which threw him off the two-wheeler to right under the wheels of a BMTC bus adjacent to the Airports Authority of India office on Kundalahalli-Brookfield Road in east Bengaluru.
According to HAL traffic police, Rohit R Patel, a resident of Bommanahalli and employee of a private firm, was returning home from work.Between 6.20pm and 6.30pm on Jan 25, he fell from his scooter as it got entangled with the low-hanging OFC and fell to his right. The BMTC bus coming from behind couldn't immediately slow down and ran over him, killing him on the spot, a police source said.
HAL traffic police personnel said they have registered an FIR based on a complaint from Patel's parents. "We arrested the bus driver and he has been released on bail. We're trying to find which company's cable caused the accident; we will take appropriate action against those responsible," an officer said.
‘Accountability missing'
A spot inspection by TOI Monday afternoon revealed at least three cables hanging at a height of about 5ft on the roadside. The entire stretch is filled with bundles of cables hanging low from tree branches and a few lying on the median, posing danger to vehicle users as well as pedestrians.
While the jurisdictional BBMP officials didn't respond to calls and messages from TOI, a team of civic personnel was seen removing some cables on the road. Overhead OFCs hanging from trees and poles have been a major threat to the safety of citizens, and the menace has survived multiple crackdowns and punitive actions by BBMP.
Ram Kumar, a resident who regularly walks on the stretch that claimed Rohit's life, said: "Cable guys keep replacing OFCs, but they never remove the old ones. Whenever we complain to BBMP, they just clear the spot, no action is taken against cable aggregators… accountability is missing majorly."
Anoop Cheeran, a resident of the same stretch, said their daily conversations in the community group are about OFCs. "These cables are really dangerous. The issue pops up when we lose someone to a fatal accident. The stretch isn't safe for pedestrians as well as motorists…"
A nearby shopkeeper who saw Saturday's accident said, "If Patel's scooter hadn't been caught in the tangled OFC, he would have been alive today. There is no one to question the offenders and no one to answer our concerns."
TRAGIC TANGLE
Aug 19, 2023: A 23-year-old pedestrian sustained injuries as an electric pole collapsed on him after OFC hanging from it became entangled with a passing truck. The incident happened in Devarabeesanahalli
Dec 10, 2023: A 28-year-old private employee who noticed a cable dangling in the middle of the road applied sudden brake. The wire got entangled around his neck and he sustained injuries on his neck at Padmanabhanagar
July 2024: A 40-year-old Jayashree suffered a fracture on her left wrist after low-hanging cable got entangled with the handlebar of her scooter, throwing her on to the road near Wipro corporate office on Sarjapur Road