The Mangaluru City Corporation on Thursday wrote to the Police Commissioner to take steps to declare Maidan Road, from Clock Tower to Clock Tower via A.B. Shetty Circle, as one-way as decided by Mangalore Smart City Ltd. (MSCL).
Corporation Commissioner Akshy Sridhar, quoting decisions by the Citizen Advisory Committee of Smart City on August 17 and MSCL meeting chaired by the Mayor on August 14, requested the Police Commissioner to take steps to declare the stretch as one-way.
The Mangaluru City Traffic Police have already been enforcing the one-way rule on the stretch from about a month, saying it was being done on trial basis. MSCL has removed road medians on the stretch, demolished A.B. Shetty Circle structure, and has plans to remove Hamilton Circle and Rao and Rao Circle structures soon.
Without authority
Opposition Congress leader in the corporation council A.C. Vinayraj said that the corporation Commissioner cannot suo motu write to the police seeking declaration of a stretch as one-way. The issue has to be debated in the council which then can pass a resolution approving of such major change in traffic pattern.
Moreover, the city corporation is not the appropriate authority to decide traffic issues. Recommendations on traffic issues have to come from the Police Commissioner and the council can take a decision on them, he said.
On the need for one-way rule around Clock Tower, Mr. Vinayraj said that the corporation has already constructed four-lane roads which were enough for the existing traffic flow. At a time when the district office is proposed to be shifted, traffic flow is bound to get reduced. There is no need for one-way rule on the stretch, he said and added that MSCL is functioning as if it is above the corporation.
An afterthought
Social activist G. Hanumanth Kamath said that the corporation commissioner’s letter could have been an afterthought as some people sought information from traffic police under the RTI Act on the basis the one-way rule is being implemented. He said that instead of reducing traffic volume, the one-way will increase volumes between A.B. Shetty Circle and Rao and Rao Circle.
