Mounesh Vishwakarma

Daijiworld Media Network - Bantwal

Bantwal, Jun 12: As per the directive of the Bantwal tahsildar, traffic police installed barricades and enforced a ban on vehicle movement on the Panemangalore old bridge from June 11 morning. However, by afternoon, motorists had removed the movable barricades placed by the police and resumed traffic across the bridge.

Since the barricades were light and could be shifted manually, vehicle users bypassed the restriction and began plying the route in violation of the order. Upon receiving information about the resumed traffic, traffic police returned and reinstated barricades on both ends of the bridge, halting vehicle movement once again.

At the time, auto-rickshaw and two-wheeler riders requestyed police to at least allow their passage. However, the police responded that the order was issued by the tahsildar and that they could not alter it.

The tahsildar, Archana Bhat, had instructed Bantwal municipal chief officer Nazir Ahmad to ban vehicle movement on the old bridge in the interest of public safety until a structural assessment report is submitted. Acting on her order, the traffic police had temporarily blocked access with barricades on Wednesday.

Police have stated that permanent barriers will be installed soon to strictly enforce the traffic ban.