State not to relax night traffic ban

  The Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Thursday met his Karnataka counterpart Jagadish Shettar seeking relaxation of the ban imposed by the State on vehicular movement during night on Bandipur-Sultan Bathery (Kerala) road.

Chandy suggested to Shettar that the two States file a joint affidavit before the Supreme Court in regard to opening the stretch for night traffic.

However, Shettar is said to have rejected the proposal stating that the State cannot make a ‘U’ turn on its stand that has been made clear to the apex court. 

According to the sources in the Forest department, when the Chandy proposed ‘convoy system’ (manned traffic movement) to ply goods and passenger vehicles along the stretch of National Highway 212 passing through Bandipur tiger reserve, the State’s forest officials hinted to Shettar that the same was discussed in June 2010. The proposal was dropped then after officials opined that it was not feasible.

When Chandy proposed construction of a flyover from Bandipur to Sultan Bathery, Karnataka officials told him that a similar proposal was made to build a flyover between Pench-Kanha tiger reserves in Madhya Pradesh.

It was estimated that it would cost Rs 1,400 crore to build a flyover over the nine-kms-stretch.

As distance between between Bandipur and Sulthan Bathery is 22 kms, flyover construction would cost not less than Rs 3,000 crore.

Permanent solution

Suggesting that the alternative and permanent solution was using the State Highway 88, which passes through Hunsur, Gonikoppa, Kutta, Kartikulam and Kalpetta, the State government assured the Kerala chief minister that the repair and widening of the alternative road is on and it would be ready for use at the earliest.

Chandy told reporters that he appealed to Shettar to increase the frequency of buses during night on the stretch. Shettar said he would take a call in this regard only after discussing it with officials.  Shettar told reporters that the state will follow the Supreme Court order on nigh traffic issue.