The absence of an effective 24x7 vehicle recovery service on the Thamarassery Ghat Road is affecting the handling of vehicle breakdowns and accidents on the busy mountain pass. Inter-State lorry and truck operators and drivers of heavy goods-vehicles are the worst-affected by the absence of the emergency service.
The delayed repairing assistance, including towing support, replacement of damaged mechanical components, multiple tyre punctures and recovery of dead engines, also leads to traffic snarls that last hours on the route. Many a time, the recovery activities are carried out with the support of the Ghat Road Protection Committee members and the police.
“For untrained local people, it takes hours to move a dead engine from the road and clear the traffic. If there is good towing facility, such unexpected situations can be met very easily,” says Anand Raj, an inter-State truck driver from Kozhikode city.
Though the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) operates many services on the route, it is yet to think of introducing a quick vehicle recovery service. The KSRTC buses are often caught between unexpected breakdowns and other engine issues.
Members of the Ghat Road Protection Committee say the management of heavy vehicles during accidents and breakdowns poses a big hurdle to resuming traffic on the route. Emergency services, including ambulances, are also caught up in long traffic snarls, which can be addressed only with the launch of a quick vehicle recovery service exclusively for the mountain pass, they add.
The local police and fire service units are yet to get the required equipment for handling recovery calls. They mostly depend on the service of private operators who do not care to offer 24x7 service.
