Bumpy ride for motorists on potholed roads

PUDUCHERRY

For long, motorists, especially two-wheeler riders, are having a harrowing time on some stretches in the city and in the suburbs as the roads maintained by the Public Works Department and the local bodies are in a dilapidated condition.

With little pre-monsoon maintenance work done, the condition of the roads has become worse with the intermittent rain. Residents are wondering how they are going to ply on these stretches during the monsoon. 

Among the worst affected are those commuting daily on the Puducherry-Cuddalore stretch. Potholes have become bigger, posing a serious threat to two-wheeler riders, especially at night. 

Navigating this stretch has become a nightmare for motorists at places near Nonankuppam,  Kirumampakkam and Edayarpalayam. The bridge over the Malattar near Reddichavady has become non-motorable as it is ridden with craters. 

The long neglect of the road comes at a time when an analysis done by the traffic police indicated that the stretch from Ariankuppam to Mullodai was one of the major accident hotspots in Puducherry. A micro analysis of the accidents done in 2020 revealed that around 142 accidents occurred on the stretch alone. 

According to a traffic police officer, several accidents involving two-wheeler riders have occurred because of the condition of the road. 

“For long, the road has become difficult to commute, but the recent spell of rain has worsened its condition. Returning home in a motorbike after a day’s work has become a nightmare as we are not able to spot the ditches,” said R. Sarathy a resident of Kirumampakkam. “If we are going behind a heavy vehicle, we should be extremely careful not to fall into a crater. Now, the rain has started and it is not possible to re-lay the road for at least a month,” he said.