At the Prajavani and Deccan Herald’s ‘Janaspandana’ programme, organised in Surathkal in November  2018, M Dhanraj, a resident from Maruthi Nagar, had highlighted how trucks parked on the national highway (NH 66) in Panambur were causing accidents.

“While returning home after completing night shifts, we are forced to shift people injured in accidents with trucks, parked on the highway, to the nearest hospital,” he said.

Wayside parking by trucks is not only triggering accidents but is also causing traffic snarls and air pollution.

The existing Truck Parking Terminal (TPT) near New Customs House in Panambur is already crammed with trucks. The terminal, inaugurated in 2001 by then New Mangalore Port Trust’s Chairman Captain R Ramkumar, has a capacity to park over 300 trucks. But due to uneven surface the terminal is able to accommodate only around 150 trucks.

With statistics revealing that NH 66 witnesses two truck movement per minute and 80 truck movements per hour, the government has decided to build another truck terminal.

Second terminal

Devaraj Urs Truck Terminus (DUTT) Limited Managing Director K T Halaswamy did not respond to messages or calls from DH despite repeated attempts.

Sources in DUTT told DH that land for the second terminal was identified in Mukka near Surathkal. Parliamentary Secretary to Chief Minister and MLC Ivan D’Souza had recently questioned the delay in setting up the second terminal near Mangaluru during the Legislative Council sessions held in Belagavi.

As the district administration had not handed over the land to DUTT, the work on second truck terminal had been delayed, sources added.