Transporters irked by traffic ban extension

MYSORE: The state government’s move to ban vehicular traffic inside Bandipur Wildlife Sanctuary from 6 pm to 6 am — an increase by 3 hours — has enraged transporters and truck owners.Forest Minister C P Yogeshwar’s statement on the ban extension, after an elephant calf was run over by a truck on the National Highway connecting Kerala and Gundlupet recently, will feature in the general body meeting of the Truckers’ Association.The meet will discuss plans to urge the state government to reduce the ban on two roads passing through the Bandipur Sancutary — NH 67 which connects Gundlupet to Ooty and NH 212 between Gundlupet and Kozhikode.The ban was upheld by the division bench of the Karnataka High Court based on a report submitted by then DFO Raju and the Chamarajanagar district administration.The Kerala truckers association, at the time, had pleaded that fifty trucks be allowed to ply with a police convoy during nights as the nine-hour ban has hit trade between the two states.Meanwhile, the sanctuary, which is covered under Project Tiger since 1973, has registered an increase in the tiger population.The Wildlife Conservation Foundation has observed that wildlife deaths since 2004 due to road mishaps is greater than that due to poaching. Animals killed include the bonet macaque, common palm civet, sambar, spotted deer, coomon, langoor, Indian mongoose, snakes and pythons.Rajkumar of Wildlife Conservation Foundation said that the ban on traffic has reduced wildlife deaths by 80 to 90 per cent. On the government’s move to further extend the traffic ban, he said, “The issue is pending before the Supreme Court.” He clarified that he had opposed the move to permit fifty trucks with police convoy inside the sanctuary at night. The foundation has suggested that signboards, zig-zag barricades, speed breakers and speed breakers be installed at vulnerable points.He said that more than 10,000 vehicles pass through the highways on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, with the figure doubling during Dasara and Onam.Meanwhile, asserting that the ban extension is discriminatory, Vijayan of Mysore Lorry Owners Association, “Why is it that rail traffic is not banned or tracks are shifted when elephants die in train accidents near Kanjikode between Comibatore- Palghat,” he asked.“The forest department should dig trenches and erect fences at the roadside and provide basic facilities at check posts,” Vijayan averred.He said that the proposed move to extend ban on traffic would adversely affect transportation and trade between Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.