Extension of night traffic ban hours sought

 
In a move aimed at conserving endangered tigers, the Tamil Nadu government recently restricted the movement of vehicles from 9 pm to 6 am on Masingadui-Torapalli in Ooty.

However, J Tamil Selvi, a researcher from World Wildlife Funds contends that the ban would be ideal if extended up to 8 am. The researcher whose report on road kills is the basis for the ban says that the ban timings should be in accordance with the movement of animals. She said animal movement begins much before the present ban and continues even after the the end of the scheduled hours.

Jayachandran of Green Movement, a local NGO in Tamil Nadu also echoes a similar opinion. “The notification imposes ban between 10 pm and 6 am, which is not sufficient. Even Karnataka has banned vehicular movement between 9 pm and 6 am,” he said. The enthusiasts have also expressed reservation on the government permitting movement of vehicles transporting perishable commodities during ban hours.