Accidents on the rise on pothole-ridden Tumakuru Rd

With potholes and uneven patches marking the entire stretch of Tumakuru Road, motorists are having a harrowing time driving on it.

It has become a nightmare for motorists as they fear accidents owing to these potholes. It is particularly difficult for two-wheeler riders.

"I witnessed an accident recently when a biker with a pillion rider fell down to avoid large potholes. Fortunately, they escaped unhurt as there was no vehicle behind them. It is almost two months now, but the authorities concerned are not bothered to repair the road," said Praveen Kumar, a commuter.

The stretch near Goraguntepalya is, particularly, in bad shape. Another commuter blames private buses and trucks for driving recklessly on the stretch.

Shankar Gowda, a commuter from Peenya, said: "The road has been damaged because of heavy transport vehicles (HTVs) plying on this stretch. During the night, two-wheeler riders cannot ride here as the private buses drive recklessly and it is very dangerous. The rainfall has also damaged the road."

"The traffic police should make sure that these buses and heavy vehicles drive at a regulated speed along the road. The BBMP also has to fill the potholes and repair the road as soon as it is damaged," he added.

There have been several accidents, according to the traffic police. "Last week, there was an accident because of these potholes. On an average, there are five to 10 accidents in a month only due to the poor condition of the road," said a traffic police official from the Yeswanthpur station.

They also claimed that they have approached the civic authorities, but nothing has come out of it yet. "We have written three letters so far to repair the road, but the BBMP has not done anything so far," he said.

The civic body officials, for their part, said they have been doing their bit to repair the roads. "We are repairing the roads and filling the potholes across the city using python machines. The BBMP commissioner has directed to fill the potholes by Saturday," said M R Venkatesh, BBMP engineer-in-chief.