Bengaluru: The midweek downpour in the city has triggered an unexpected weekend crisis for commuters: a surge in demand for mechanics after hundreds of bikes and cars were crippled by waterlogged streets!“I’ve been calling up several garages and checking with local mechanics for the past two days to get my bike up and running, but everyone seems to have got too busy. I’ve been told to call on Monday,” said Rohith Gowda, whose two-wheeler conked out after it was partially submerged in front of UB City Wednesday evening. He was not the only motorist scrambling for repairs. “My vehicle’s brakes are getting jammed; I couldn’t take it out today (Saturday) as I didn’t want to take chances. I am waiting for my mechanic,” said Karan A, a marketing professional and resident of Shantinagar. Although everything was thrown out of gear following the 11cm rain received in central Bengaluru last Wednesday evening, the situation was compounded by the May 1 Labour Day holiday, with many garages across the city remaining shut, leaving limited options for those in need of assistance. In pockets where shops did open, mechanics found themselves overwhelmed. Ayan, who works at a garage on Mother Theresa Road, said the past two days have been unusually hectic. “We’ve had over 10 vehicles lined up at a time. It’s not uncommon after rains, but this time, the numbers were definitely higher,” he said, adding that most of the old repair requests were now being cleared. Mechanics say scooters have taken a bigger hit than motorcycles. Shoaib, another technician in the same area, said the design of gearless scooters makes them more vulnerable. “Their fuel tanks are positioned lower, so even riding over one deep pothole filled with water can lead to seepage into the carburettor. Bikes are relatively safer since their tanks are placed higher,” he noted. Shivajinagar, known for its dense cluster of garages, has become a pressure point. Stephen R, who runs a small workshop there, said the demand has far outstripped capacity. “If we had more space and manpower, we could easily be handling close to 100 vehicles right now. In just two days, we’ve already repaired around 45,” he said, pointing to rows of air filters laid out to dry, a common casualty of water damage. Meanwhile, in Ejipura, another hub for automobile repair, most garages have decided to stay open Sunday to ease the backlog.
