Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (MS)
Bengaluru, Aug 23: Natives of the coastal region working in the state capital have started a Twitter campaign highlighting the difficulty of road access to the coastal region and Bengaluru under the hashtag, #connectustomangalore.
The group has asked the concerned authority of the state government to assign at least one lane specifically for the buses for the uninterrupted journey between both the cities. The leader of this group is Gopal Pai Mani, who is a financial analyst by profession. As per the information given by Gopal, the group will be conducting a mass campaign on Friday, August 24.
Explaining the reason behind the campaign, Gopal Pai said, "The bus travel is hit hard because both the Shiradi and Sampaje Ghats are not accessible. All cannot afford air travel. That is why we are pleading with concerned authority to restore normal traffic on at least one of the passages,"
"We are very much aware of the landslides that have taken place in the district of Kodagu and do empathize with the administration in this time of difficulty. We have also done our bit to help the people of Kodagu. However, we want cost-effective travel between both cities to attend family functions or see our elderly parents who are suffering from ill-health. Most of the people travel regularly in this sector,"
Vijesh Shenoy, Nitin Bhandary, Siddharth Pai and other like-minded people are leading the campaign along with Gopal Pai. They have also formed a WhatsApp group for the same purpose which has 75 members already.
Continuing his statement stating the purpose Gopal Pai said, “We understand that the authorities concerned are working hard to restore the connectivity. The Twitter campaign intends to convey the hardships to them, including the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.”
"Since 2008 Shiradi Ghat was never in good condition and was getting closed for one or the other reason quite often," he added.