11 km in 2 hours: EaseMyTrip co-founder commits Rs 1 crore to fix Bengaluru's choke points
EaseMyTrip co-founder Prashant Pitti plans to use satellite imagery, Google's new Road Management Insight data, and AI models to pinpoint gridlock locations and timings
- Jul 14, 2025,
- Updated Jul 14, 2025 7:19 PM IST
After spending over 100 minutes at a single traffic choke-point on Bengaluru's Outer Ring Road (ORR), EaseMyTrip co-founder Prashant Pitti has pledged Rs 1 crore to identify and help fix Bengaluru's most congested zones using Google Maps data and AI tools.
"I was stuck at one choke-point at ORR, where I spent 100 mins struggling to understand why there is no traffic-light or cop here!" Pitti wrote in a post on Monday. "But I don't want one more 'Bengaluru Traffic Meme or Rant'. I WANT TO FIX IT."
Sharing his late-night ordeal—a 2-hour 15-minute journey to cover just 11 km—Pitti announced a public-facing initiative to map city-wide choke-points. He plans to use satellite imagery, Google's new Road Management Insight data launched in April 2025, and AI models to pinpoint gridlock locations and timings.
"Using Google Data and Satellite Imagery, we can list down all the choke-points & their exact timings in a month. For the traffic department to work on those areas specifically."
According to Pitti, the ₹1 crore commitment will fund: One to two senior ML/AI engineers; budget for using Google Maps API calls, satellite imagery, GPUs and field pilots; and an open-source platform that can be scaled to other Indian cities.
But he also laid down two prerequisites before beginning: "I will start this project, when BTP/BBMP: 1. Open their raw feeds or API access. 2. Names a team, committed to acting on the insights we generate."
Calling on volunteers and Bangalore citizens, he wrote: "TAG anyone you know in the Bangalore Traffic Office, BBMP or the Traffic Commissioner’s office… ML/AI folks: comment ‘IN’ if you can work along part-time to end this menace."
Bengaluru's gridlock crisis
Bengaluru's traffic situation has triggered a steady stream of online frustration from residents. With ongoing metro construction, road diversions, and pressure on narrow arterial roads, daily commutes in the tech capital have grown unpredictable and exhausting.
A recent X post by a commuter said: "Bangalore sucks. Due to random (permanent) diversion, it took me 1hr 50 min to reach the office when in regular days it used to take 40 mins. Time to leave Bangalore. In 1 year, I'm moving to HYD for sure. The weather in HYD is hot only for 3 months, and then it's almost like BLR."
After spending over 100 minutes at a single traffic choke-point on Bengaluru's Outer Ring Road (ORR), EaseMyTrip co-founder Prashant Pitti has pledged Rs 1 crore to identify and help fix Bengaluru's most congested zones using Google Maps data and AI tools.
"I was stuck at one choke-point at ORR, where I spent 100 mins struggling to understand why there is no traffic-light or cop here!" Pitti wrote in a post on Monday. "But I don't want one more 'Bengaluru Traffic Meme or Rant'. I WANT TO FIX IT."
Sharing his late-night ordeal—a 2-hour 15-minute journey to cover just 11 km—Pitti announced a public-facing initiative to map city-wide choke-points. He plans to use satellite imagery, Google's new Road Management Insight data launched in April 2025, and AI models to pinpoint gridlock locations and timings.
"Using Google Data and Satellite Imagery, we can list down all the choke-points & their exact timings in a month. For the traffic department to work on those areas specifically."
According to Pitti, the ₹1 crore commitment will fund: One to two senior ML/AI engineers; budget for using Google Maps API calls, satellite imagery, GPUs and field pilots; and an open-source platform that can be scaled to other Indian cities.
But he also laid down two prerequisites before beginning: "I will start this project, when BTP/BBMP: 1. Open their raw feeds or API access. 2. Names a team, committed to acting on the insights we generate."
Calling on volunteers and Bangalore citizens, he wrote: "TAG anyone you know in the Bangalore Traffic Office, BBMP or the Traffic Commissioner’s office… ML/AI folks: comment ‘IN’ if you can work along part-time to end this menace."
Bengaluru's gridlock crisis
Bengaluru's traffic situation has triggered a steady stream of online frustration from residents. With ongoing metro construction, road diversions, and pressure on narrow arterial roads, daily commutes in the tech capital have grown unpredictable and exhausting.
A recent X post by a commuter said: "Bangalore sucks. Due to random (permanent) diversion, it took me 1hr 50 min to reach the office when in regular days it used to take 40 mins. Time to leave Bangalore. In 1 year, I'm moving to HYD for sure. The weather in HYD is hot only for 3 months, and then it's almost like BLR."