Coimbatore:
A drive through Bharathi Park Road,
connecting Mettupalayam Road and Thadagam Road, is a risky affair with potholes punctuating the stretch.
As the road is traffic intensive, with a college located on it, mornings and evenings become even more difficult, commuters said. As the vehicle density increases, potholes don’t become visible if a vehicle travels close in the front, posing a significant danger.
S Anand from Gandhipuram, who works at a private firm in Saibaba Colony, rides through Bharathi Park Road every day. “It becomes more difficult to manoeuvre the road without hitting potholes especially in the morning when students come to college and in evening when they leave,” he said.
V Subramanian, a two-wheeler user from Velandipalayam, said haphazard bumps and potholes are a serious problem. “When a four-wheeler travels in front, we can’t notice potholes. And when they becomes visible, we are forced to take a sudden detour to escape, which is quite dangerous on such a busy road,” he said.
TOI found several potholes on the road. Some of them also had loose blue metal pieces scattered in and around them, making them more dangerous. Some two-wheeler riders were seen taking sudden detours to dodge them, which put them at risk because of the speeding vehicles from the opposite direction. A large pothole was seen opposite to a women’s college on the road.
It becomes more dangerous at night as some of the streetlights on the road don’t work, commuters said.
A city corporation official responsible for the area said the civic body had been repairing potholes at nearby areas and will soon repair those on Bharathi Park Road as well. A tender has been finalised and the work will start in 15 days, he said.
As for the streetlights, the official said as powerlines on the road have been made underground, new lamp posts are being erected. Half the stretch has been fitted with new posts, the rest would be completed soon, he added.
