The Karnataka High Court on Monday ordered issue of notices to the State and Centre on a PIL petition seeking an additional daily passenger train between Bengaluru and Mangaluru in view of closure of the Shiradi Ghat stretch, which is an arterial route connecting the two cities.
A Division Bench comprising Justice K.L. Manjunath and Justice P.B. Bajanthri passed the order on the petition filed by Latha Ramesh, a city-based advocate, and S. Pradeep Kumar Kalkura, president of Dakshina Kannada district unit of Kannada Sahitya Parishat.
The petition also sought a direction to the State to set up more eateries and restrooms on the six alternative routes, which government and private buses are allowed to use following closure of Shiradi Ghat on January 2.
Pointing out the difficulties faced by travellers due to frequent traffic jams on the alternative routes, the petitioner said that women and children are facing problems in view of absence of restrooms on these stretches.
The petitioners have also pointed out that introducing an additional daily train between the two cities is the best alternative that the government could have provided, but the governments and the Railways have failed to do so. Both passenger and goods transport is adversely affected, they said.
