Caution! Development Work on Fr Muller Rd a Safety Hazard for Motorists

Caution! Development Work on Fr Muller Rd a Safety Hazard for Motorists

Mangaluru: While Mangaluru calls it a “Smart City”, but it looks like there are not many “Smart” officials at the Mangaluru City Corporation who are not doing the city development work the right way-for example constructing new roads without a footpath/drainage- that’s absolutely not a “Smart” idea. Imagine constructing new roads and finishing them without any proper drainage or footpaths, and also leaving it incomplete with deep open pits at the sides of the road . It has happened in the past, and it is happening again. And this time, we are talking about the dangerous Fr Muller Road, which is under the verge of development, but in the meantime, is creating a lot of safety hazards for motorists and commuters.

You can see ditches which are not only dangerous for motorists but also for pedestrians taking this stretch, because of no footpaths. Chances are that vehicles may fall into these ditches and land deep below resulting in damages to the vehicle, and severe injuries or death to the commuters. Not only that at many spots mud, rocks, other debris dug out have been piled up on the roadside causing inconvenience to the motorists and pedestrians. Why is the need to pile up these rocks and mud? People with common sense would haul the rocks/mud right away, once it has been dug out. But here, we are talking about the opposite of smartness?

Even though the part of the stretch of the road has been developed with new footpaths, and the road also widened, but the funny part is that the new footpaths have been occupied by street vendors, and a portion of the widened road has been occupied by mobile canteens. So what development are we talking about? You build new footpaths, and give it to the street vendors! You build broad roads and give a portion of it for mobile canteens and for ambulances and other vehicles to park (See pics in the report). With the ongoing work of the road divider, it’s a pathetic scene out there, and one should be ashamed that a growing city like Mangaluru has to be in that kind of situation and in a mess. Seems like it is in a state where nobody is taking responsibility and being held accountable for the result that having decent footpaths is of least importance.

While pedestrians have been demanding even and continuous footpaths at least along main roads, nobody in the MCC has addressed these issues. It is sad to note that Major roads have not been cared to make pedestrian-friendly footpaths on the roadside- and this Fr Muller Road even though has a new footpath, but most of it is taken by the hawkers. The prime importance of roads is for pedestrians but sadly in our culture, that is missing. Many of the streets have been mauled. The gradient of footpaths should facilitate easy and comfortable walking for the elderly and handicapped, but sadly our footpaths are broken at several points and never help the pedestrians, and many pedestrians are getting hurt due to dilapidated footpaths. This shows that the PWD/MCC has shown utter callousness in constructing a perfect footpath.

Especially driving or riding on this stretch of Fr Muller Road is very dangerous, because there are no safety signs- and one could see rocks along the sides of the divider, which are dangerous, especially for two-wheeler riders. Is the Architect or the contractor of this project worried about the safety of the motorists? I don’t think so, by looking at the present condition. And there are always delays in the project due to the “contractors not doing an optimal job” as also the lack of “close synchronization in terms of various agencies in the government.

In conclusion, It’s always advisable to build footpaths simultaneously when the road work is done and completed. Let’s have footpaths, with no more road digging, just like foreign countries. Let’s have safe roads with footpaths for people to walk safely on the road. Let’s have roads without any ditches or gorges so that motorists or pedestrians may not lose their limbs. Let’s be safe on this Fr Muller Road, and not get admitted to the Hospital with broken limbs- or much worse than that. Authorities claim that the city will soon have world-class roads but citizens can’t help wishing that they don’t have to suffer moving on these hazardous roads. Let the Officials remain “Smart” if they are calling this City “SMART?”