The Hindu : Karnataka / Mangalore News : Slippery roads make driving a hazardous task in Mangalore

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Apr 24, 2005

Karnataka

Karnataka - Mangalore

Slippery roads make driving a hazardous task in Mangalore

Staff Correspondent

Two-wheeler riders, pedestrians face maximum risk

About 30 circles are danger spots for riders Problem of loose gravel could be seen prominently in Nandigudde, circle opposite Circuit house, Lady hill, Valencia Circle, Sooterpet and Mallikatta circle. Braking on loose gravel area could sound a death knell for two wheeler riders. MCC has no clue on the problem, but will examine- Health Committee Chairman

LETHAL SPILLOVER: Loose sand makes roads treacherous in Mangalore.

MANGALORE: Pre-monsoon showers have come and gone, and the city has got its share of water for the summer. Along with the cooling effect of the rain comes the nightmare of driving on the city roads. It is not the potholes that are dreaded most by the motorists but the loose soil that spills over to the roads making every turn, intersection and curve dangerous for motorists as well as other road users.

So much loose soil has accumulated on each side of the roads a day after the pre-monsoon showers that it has become difficult for motorists to use the roads. Many motorists say that small pebbles make it all the more difficult to negotiate a turn or an intersection.

The city, which has witnessed some road works of late, has seen very little attention being given to this problem.

Every circle is a danger spot and a moment of indiscretion or error of judgement can leave a two-wheeler rider with broken bones while cars and three-wheelers may veer off the road causing serious injuries to pedestrians.

A driver notes that many times, two-wheeler riders falling off their vehicles is considered an offence by the police and the drivers can be booked for negligent driving. In the Traffic East Station, 35 to 40 such instances are registered every year and the drivers are booked for negligent riding. Many people have urged the Mangalore City Corporation to clear the loose soil on the roads. However, officials say loose soil does not come under the "health hazard" category as it is not garbage or waste. It is also not a simple job that can be entrusted to pourakarmikas as the city has hundreds of main roads and thousands of bylanes where the problem of loose soil persists. According to the Health Committee Chairman, Kamalaksha Kundar, a special vehicle fitted with a suction pump and estimated to cost Rs. 20 lakhs, is needed to clear the loose soil.

Hanumanth Kamath, president of the Road Users' Association, has urged the corporation to take steps to rid the city roads of loose soil.

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