With frequent breakdown of heavy vehicles on Dhimbam Ghat Road disrupting vehicle movements between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, Regional Transport Office has installed height restriction bars near the Hasanur check-post on Dindigul – Mysuru National Highway 948 here.
Since breakdown of heavy vehicles while negotiating the 27 hairpin bends is frequent on the ghat road that passes through the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve, it affects movement of vehicles with goods which move frequently on the road.
Senior officials from the district administration, Regional Transport Office, district police, forest department and the national highways jointly inspected the road and decided to completely ban movement of vehicles with 12 wheels. Also, other heavy vehicles were not allowed to use the road from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.
The Regional Transport Office installed height restriction bars at Bannari and Hasanur check-posts so that vehicles with over 4.2 metre cannot pass through it.
Removed
However, due to stiff opposition from lorry owners and drivers, the bars were removed within a few days after installation.
Officials on Thursday installed the bars on Kollegal Road, near Hasanur check-post. Officials said that such bars would be installed at the check-post at Bannari.
They also said that the forest department is in the process of establishing weighing bridge at Pudu Vadavalli and at Hasanur after which overloaded lorries will not be allowed on the section.