Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (SP)

Mangalore, Aug 17: A number of accidents have occurred, particularly two-wheelers, at a spot on national highway 66 near the main gate of New Mangalore Port Trust that has been earmarked for building a tollgate. To pave way for the tollgate, a portion of the road at the said spot has been left unattended, and because of uneven bounce and sudden change in the road surface, vehicles tend to slip or go out of the control of the rider here. People who frequent this road alone have prior knowledge about this stretch.

Another accident, this time involving a car and a truck, occurred at the spot on Tuesday August 16. A car in which Pascal D’Souza, resident of Belman, Karkala, was bringing his father for treatment to the city, was hit by a truck. Those in the car escaped with minor injuries.

The car driver has filed a complaint at Panambur police station against National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), alleging that improper and negligent handling of the road construction by the authority had caused the accident. He stated that no action has been taken, although accidents have become a common phenomenon at this spot. NHAI project director, P N Gavasane, and Ircon Company, which is executing the highway widening project, have been named in the complaint.