JOIN USBrahmavar Jn a nightmare to pedestrians, motorists
The Brahmavar Bus Stand Junction is turning out to be a nightmare to pedestrians and vehicle users with a lot of confusions with road diversions at all corners, owing to the delay in the construction of the national highway (NH) in the area.
Aged and women, especially pregnant women, and pedestrians find it extremely difficult to even walk on the stretch as vehicles rush from all sides. Both pedestrians and vehicles that ply to and fro from Mangaluru to Kundapur are bewildered.
The controversies surrounding the construction of the overbridge have added to the woes. However, the overbridge was finalised considering the benefit of hassle-free traffic in the area.The highway, which joins the Brahmavar Bus Stand from Kundapur, is totally in a mess. As a result, no provision has been made for vehicles from Udupi to enter the bus stop or go towards the right to enter the road adjoining Brahmavar and Hebri, the road users said.
Prema Poojary, a homemaker, said crossing the road is very difficult and one should risk his or her life. “Vehicles rush here from all the sides constantly as there is no definite structure of road and traffic signals,” she added.
Little Rock Indian School (Brahmavar) Principal Mathew Ninan said the four-lane work of the national highway was expected to bring a much-needed relief to the people of the coastal area. However, the work in progress at Brahmavar now seems to be leading to a disaster, making it most accident-prone.
They (the officials) have virtually shut off the Brahmavar-Hebri Road which is also a busy road. There is no entry or exit provision for this road to access the national highway. “We don’t understand the logic behind this move,” he said and added that the NH work has to be planned and executed scientifically.
“We appeal to the authorities to take corrective action before it is too late,” he said. He said he has asked the school bus drivers to ply via the Regional Research Station Road to reach the national highway, which is a circuitous route of an additional 5 km to reach Brahmavar.
“We cannot send our buses to Brahmavar and then take a U-turn at Mahesh Hospital area because it’s absolutely not safe,” he said. Meanwhile, a National Highway Authority of India official said the problem would be set right by December-end.
The left side of highway work is completed and it ensures the vehicular movement from Kundapur to Mangaluru. The service road work is also over. The road on the other side is under construction.The work is delayed as there were electric poles near Mahesh Enterprises and the Church. The electric polls were removed recently. The service road work would be completed in another few days. That would provide hassle-free transport to the vehicles in the bus stand in the area.
The overbridge that is being built is partially permitted for the traffic. However, its completion would ensure better traffic in the area. The road construction work is taken up along with live traffic. The work is carried out without any disruption to the traffic, he said.
He added the bus operators have been directed to use the two-lane stretch plying towards Udupi to Kundapur.
On the other hand, an official alleged that the bus operators violate the traffic norms and add uncertainty to already existing problems. Owing to time constraints, the buses normally avoid the bus stand and ply directly without entering the bus stand. The heavy traffic on the roads due to the competition has created major problems in the area, the official added.
SP to look into problems
Superintendent of Police Annamalai said he will look into the traffic irregularities in the area and set right the problem at the earliest. He also added that he would talk to the National Highway Authority officials to complete the road work soon.