Mangaluru : The dozen circles in Mangaluru may add to the beauty of the city, but in reality, all of these are resulting in traffic pile-ups and inconveniencing motorists and pedestrians, said former MLA Vijaykumar Shetty.
On Tuesday, to get a reality check about the circles, journalists led by Vijaykumar Shetty visited about 12 circles in the city. He argued that the size of all the circles have be to reduced considerably to avoid traffic pile-ups.
The visit started from Lady Hill Circle, where Shetty explained that Lady Hill is the entry for vehicles coming from Mumbai and Udupi. However, such a huge circle is not necessary as there is a huge flow of traffic round the clock, he said. The group then preceded to Kadri Temple Circle, built by sponsors, which is also huge in size.
Shetty, during his visit to Mallikatte Circle next, alleged that the Mangaluru City Corporation has allowed the construction of the unscientific circle, without taking into consideration the inconvenience it causes to residents. “In order to please some people, the MCC has allowed this project, which does not suit the place. The circle is the biggest in Mangaluru, and bus associations have raised an issue about it, as it is difficult for them to take a turn at the circle,” he criticised.
Resident Rosy Maria D’Silva alleged that locals had raised objections to stop the construction of the circle soon after the work began. However, officials went ahead with it. “We are now facing problems. Pedestrians cannot cross this road as the circle is too huge, and any one can fall prey to a road accident here,” she said.
Former MLA Shetty proposed that the circles at Bunts Hostel and St Agnes are ideal, and that the same should be adopted across the city limits.
The other unscientific circles include: Nandigudde, Marnamikatte, Forum Fiza Mall, AB Shetty and Hamilton. Shetty pointed out that several circles including Hudson Circle and St John’s Circle in Bengaluru are not there any more, which has helped ease traffic.
Criticising the upcoming Clock Tower Circle in the heart of the city, which was once demolished by then deputy commissioner Bharat Lal Meena, Shetty said the clock tower has become a prestige issue for some people. “So far Mangaluru City Corporation has spent about Rs 91 lakh for construction of the circle. However, when Smart City Limited objected to the construction, work was stopped. All the circles in Mangaluru are a waste of public money and space, and cause inconvenience to the common man,” he added.
Shetty also suggested installation of speed-breakers around circles, after reducing their size.