Shreyas H S
Pics: Ramesh Pandith
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore
Mangalore, Jul 10: It's less than two weeks since the imposition of the new traffic rules between Balmatta Circle and Bendorewell junction, but the service auto drivers operating on the route are already lamenting that the new rule has halved their income as they are not getting enough passengers.
The scenario for shoppers and hoteliers on the route is no different. The traffic regulation in the area has forced the commuters to choose other destinations for shopping and eating out. According to Nassir, a hotelier, the vehicles which move out of the city - vehicles moving from Balmatta to Bendorewell choose to halt at his hotel but vehicles entering the city (Bendorewell-Balmatta) do not stop as they are keen on visiting other places.
Nassir contended that due to this, his profit has come down by 30 percent. Amidst growing prices of essential commodities, this fresh trouble has added to the worries of hoteliers and shop keepers.
The new rule has hit auto rickshaws serving the area hardest. Earlier, people used to board autos to commute from Balmatta to Kankanady, Kankanady to Bendorewell, and Bendorewell to Balmatta. The passengers were able to reach these locations at the minimum stipulated price of Rs 25. The current traffic rule has reduced the number of trips for the auto drivers drastically from 15-20 to 5-10 per day.
“Before the rule came into effect, most of the drivers managed to get as many as 15 - 20 trips a day. At present, people are not opting for autos as they are compelled to take a detour,” said Rajesh, an auto driver. Commuters are now opting to walk instead. He said that a large chunk of people, apart from auto drivers, working in the area in various sectors have signed the memorandum readied by the drivers. “The memorandum will be sent to the deputy commissioner, MLC, and the assistant commissioner of police requesting an end to the prevailing rule,” he said.
“In addition, pedestrians have been encountering problems while crossing the road. Due to the diversion of vehicular movement, the vehicle flow remains constant during the peak hours,” added Rajesh.
Uday N Kumar, ACP (Traffic), speaking to Daijiworld, said, “The response to the new model of traffic control in the area is good. Apart from drawing flak from about 10 percent of the people, the remaining 90 percent have lauded the idea that has been implemented. We will also consider the pleas of auto drivers and hoteliers in the coming days.” He asserted that as of now there won’t be any change in the rule.