Mounesh Vishwakarma
Pics: Kishore Peraje
Daijiworld Media Network – Bantwal (EP)

Bantwal, Nov 27: While traffic chaos at BC Road, earlier identified as a busy stretch, has eased after construction of railway overbridge and widening of circle, commuters at Melkar junction continue to face problems on a daily basis.

Long lines of vehicles can be seen every day for sometime from Melkar to Panemangalore on one side and till Kalladka on the other. Many a time, traffic jams start at 9 am itself and last for hours together.

While slow movement of heavy duty vehicles including sand laden lorries are the main cause of jams at the junction where three roads join, private buses and other vehicles also enter in competition to reach their destination, thus worsening the gridlock. The situation worsens in the evenings. And if vehicles break down midway, the gridlocks last an entire day making it dreadful for commuters.

In spite of having a traffic police station at Melkar, the chaos is far from being solved. The police department is faced with shortage of staff to regulate the traffic. Their problem aggravates when drivers break the law and disrupt their duties. Sometimes, when police do take action against some of the law-breaking drivers, political interference thwarts their efforts.

There is widespread anguish among people regarding the problem.

The traffic situation was bad from Melkar to BC Road on Thursday November 26 too. The helpless police say that there can be no solution to the problem unless people cooperate.