Traffic issues dicussed at traffic meet

Traffic issues dicussed at traffic meet

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Jan 19, 2016:  Drawing the attention of all concerned at a consultation meeting on city traffic issues at the Town Hall on Jan 18, Monday, Walter Menezes of Namma Mangaluru, said that halting of buses at circles had become a nuisance in the city. The police should impose heavy fine on such drivers.

 

Adequate space is ear marked for halting buses at Karavali Circle (Kankanady), yet buses continued to be halted at will,  creating traffic snarls. Traffic police must enforce rules and see that drivers  stop the buses only at the designated stops.

Rohan Shree of the Aam Aadmi Party said that the Transport Department should think of allotting permits for operating city buses to satellite areas, without them operating via the city. For example, he said that if a commuter from Padil wanted to go to Surathkal, he would have to take a bus that operated via the city, now. It was because there was no bus operating from Padil to Surathkal via Pumpwell, Nanthoor, Kottara Chowki on NH 66.

G. Hanumantha Kamath, president, Nagarika Hitarakshana Samiti, said that Mangaluru City Corporation allowing buildings to come up without providing enough parking space was one of the major reasons for the growing traffic problems in the city. When Harish Kumar was the Commissioner of corporation, he had ordered for demolition of 169 buildings in the city for violation of building norms. Of them, 56 buildings had not provided enough parking facilities. Why can’t the corporation demolish those buildings now, he wanted to know.

Referring to a building at Hampankatta, he said that the space where Tokyo Market had come up now was meant for parking place. But the corporation has provided door number and trade licences to shops there. How could the corporation do so, he asked.

The participants listed out the lacunae, including lack of lane discipline, menace of shrill horns, parking of buses on the road, lack of bus-stands, lack of parking stands for autorickshaws, petty shops occupying footpaths and the like.  The routes buses have been habitually used to must be reviewed and rationalized too in view of changed needs.

J.R. Lobo, MLA, Mangaluru City South convened the meeting with Mayor Jesintha Vijaya Alfred and traffic police.