Daijiworld Media Network - Beltangady (MS)
Beltangady, Nov 24: Public is urging the administration to start allowing mini buses to ply on the Charmadi Ghat road, which is being rebuilt after the deluge that devastated vital stretches of the Ghat couple of months ago. However, the administration is not bothered. Though trial run was done on the newly laid road, the road is not opened for all traffic. Due to time restrictions for the movement of two-wheelers and four-wheelers presently, the vehicles have to stand in a long queue.
Only two wheelers and four wheelers are allowed on the Ghat from 6 am to 6 pm. The vehicles that arrive from distance places are not aware of this rule. That is why they have to spend the whole night on the road itself. Though mini buses can be run for emergencies, both the Deputy Commissioners (DCs) of Dakshina Kannada and Chikkamagaluru district are silent on this matter. This has irked the public as they are facing the difficulty of commuting on this road.
Though there was an opportunity to start the mini bus service during the Dharmasthala Laksha Deepotsava, it did not materialize for reasons better known to the administration only. There are no mini buses in any of the KSRTC depots, including Dharmasthala, B C Road, Puttur and Chikkamagaluru except Mangaluru. For the same reason, the KSRTC top officials and NHAI officials had procured mini buses from Shivamogga depot and did the trial run on November 19.
A 35-seater bus did the trial run, under the presence of NHAI officials, from Mudigere to Annappa Hills, a stretch of around 13 kilometers. The Chikkamagaluru KSRTC depot officials are saying that they are ready to run mini buses as per requirement from 6 am to 6 pm from Mudigere to Ujire provided they get go ahead from the DCs and NHAI officials. However, the order of DCs is still not given to KSRTC.
The vehicles of devotees, who visit holy places of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi, and even sick patients on emergency, have to wait at the beginning of Charmadi Ghat and Kottigehara check posts after 6 pm in the evening as the road gets closed. More than 200 vehicles were in queue at Kottigehara on Saturday. As the district administration does not give permission even for light vehicles after 6 pm, the commuters are spending the night on roadside, without even the facility for toilet or lodge. DCs have to take quick action to resolve this issue.