Umesh Marpalli

Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (MS)

Udupi, Dec 10: In the narrow road of Laxmi Venkataramana temple in the city, traffic block is a daily affair.

There are four auditoriums belonging to the temple without the parking facility for vehicles. So the people who come for functions in these auditoriums, park their vehicles on the road itself, which creates traffic congestion and block.

This road was a state highway earlier. The politicians of this locality have changed the path of the state highway so that there is no need of widening this road for the fear that they may lose their valuable votes of the public if the road of the temple is widened.

Every day thousands of vehicles ply on this road that leads to colleges, Sri Krishna Math, court and service bus stand. In addition, there are ayurvedic medicine shops, vegetable vendors and ice cream shops also on this road. As there is no parking facility, the customers park their vehicles on the side of the road and buy the goods.

The worst is that even the footpath meant for the pedestrians is encroached by the hawkers. Because of this the pedestrians have to walk on the road. Many accidents have taken place on this road. At least now the city traffic police have to wake up and take necessary action.

As per the information given by the officers of the city municipality some people have constructed the compound wall of their houses on the road itself, which has made it difficult to widen the road.