Vikramaditya
Port Blair, July 08: As many as three ATR buses today suffered minor and major breakdown in Andaman Trunk Road, which caused huge inconvenience to the public.
Sources said that two STS buses suffered minor breakdown while one private bus of SS Transport today suffered serious breakdown mainly because of pathetic condition of ATR in Middle Andaman.
While the STS ATR buses anyhow managed to reach Middle Strait gate almost on time the SS Transport reached very late with around 36 passengers.
Later, with the intervention of some social workers, police personnel and department of Tribal Welfare the bus was given special permission to cross ATR at 5.40 PM.
There are reports that many passengers who were waiting for 12.30 noon STS bus at Middle Strait had to take lift in other vehicles to reach Port Blair as the STS bus reached Middle Strait from Middle Andaman, little late.
The NHIDCL is presently working on up-gradation of ATR in Middle Andaman, which require heavy earth removing and re-laying work.s Because of heavy rain now the many stretches of Middle Andaman are un-worthy for movement of vehicles, which is actually causing breakdowns.
Considering the present situation it is expected that for next one year such breakdowns will continue and many more ATR buses and other vehicles will miss last convoy from Middle Strait. To save the public from unnecessary delay/ harassment in getting special permission from Administration through public leaders and social workers, the Administration must set up a special help line for passengers who are struck in Middle Strait, because of such breakdown of any kind of vehicles.
