Road expansion work along the Udhagamandalam-Coonoor Road seems to have added to woes faced by motorists, rather than help ease traffic congestion in the district, argue road users.
The road expansion works, which have been heavily criticised for cutting off elephant pathways along the Coonoor slopes, and for potentially increasing the chance of landslips in the region, have also been blamed by motorists for the increase in the number of road accidents and fatalities that have occurred over the last month.
According to S. Babu, a taxi driver from the Nilgiris, the wider roads have led to motorists driving at higher speeds and more recklessly. “Before the roads were widened, there would be only enough space for one lane of traffic in either direction. However, due to the wider roads, motorists, particularly those from outside the Nilgiris, are overtaking other vehicles with more risk,” he said.
