Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla made headlines at the Bengaluru Tech Summit 2025 with a humorous comment about the city's notorious traffic. He shared his experience of commuting from Marathahalli to the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre, stating, "I have spent thrice the time that I am going to be spending on this presentation with you. So, you have to look at the commitment that I have." His quip resonated with the audience, highlighting the challenges of navigating Bengaluru's roads.

Later, Karnataka IT Minister Priyank Kharge echoed Shukla's sentiments during his address at the Future Makers Conclave. He remarked, "Like Shubhanshu Shukla said, it was easier for him to get from space to Bengaluru, but from Marathahalli to here was a little difficult," promising to address the traffic issues.

Shukla's comments come amid ongoing discussions about traffic congestion in Bengaluru, which has seen a significant increase in vehicle numbers. According to the Bengaluru Traffic Police, the average daily congestion length reached 189.6 kilometres in June 2025. The average one-way commute time has risen by 16% over the past year, now averaging 63 minutes for a distance of 19 kilometres. This translates to approximately 117 hours lost annually during peak hours.

In the first half of 2025 alone, Bengaluru added over three lakh new private vehicles, with a notable spike of 49,620 registrations in June. The transport department warns that if this trend continues, the city could see an addition of more than five lakh vehicles by mid-2026. Currently, Bengaluru has a vehicle density of 823 vehicles per kilometre, up from 761 the previous year, exacerbating the traffic woes for its residents.