MANGALORE: A total bundh was observed on National Highway 17, 47, 63, 206 and 13 on Saturday under the aegis of the Save National Highway Committee in order to pressurize the government to take early steps to repair and widen the highways passing through Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Uttara Kannada districts.
The committee disallowed any vehicle on the highway except vehicles carrying milk, newspapers, as well as ambulance or other wedding vehicles. All service and express buses passing through these highways were off the roads giving them a deserted look.
Though the city bus operators had made it clear well in advance that city buses would be plying as usual, some problem had arisen as even the city buses were disallowed from using the highway.
In Suratkal, members of the local citizens’ forum under the leadership of DYFI district President Muneer Katipalla prevented vehicles from moving on the highway while in Kulai too buses were obstructed.
The committee which has organized the agitation feels that the government which collected crores of rupees as taxes from the vehicles had however not given enough importance towards development of roads resulting in the death of nearly 2519 persons in accidents in the two district during the past 10 years.
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