Minna Zutshi
Tribune News Service
Ludhiana, August 17
The Mall Road is one of the busiest roads of Ludhiana city. Costliest cars run on this road and so does a two-wheeler and a three-wheeler. Shoppers who park their vehicles at a distance walk down to the swanky shops and stores located on either side of the road. It is a connecting road from Bharat Nagar Chowk to Fountain Chowk. But the Mall Road offers a bumpy ride that is fraught with danger. Big potholes on the road may cause a two-wheeler to overturn, as Seema, a college student, discovered to her dismay. “I was driving a scooter, while my mother was pillion riding. My scooter lost the balance when it hit a pothole. It could have been a dangerous accident had my scooter swerved out of control.”
At night, when the visibility is poor, it is riskier still for a two-wheeler. “You are lucky if you escape unhurt while driving a two-wheeler at night on the Mall Road. On a potholed road, your two-wheeler may overturn and you may fall off,” said Ramanjeet, another college student.
Similar sentiments were echoed by Garima Singh, a commuter. “The potholes make the drive very uncomfortable. My mother who suffers from backache had a tough time the other day. Now we avoid taking this road. Though the other route is longer, we prefer using it. At least it does not have crater-like potholes.”
Sonu Nilibar, coordinator of the Cloth Merchant Association of Ludhiana, said it is a matter of shame that on the Mall Road ‘shocking potholes’ welcome the commuters and shoppers. Are the authorities listening? They need to wake up before it is too late and a fatal road mishap occurs.