Udupi: One junction, five police booths! Still traffic woes persist at Kalsanka

Udupi: A single road junction, but with five police booths, two police gates, and two barricades! This is the chaotic state of Udupi’s Kalsanka Junction.

The already cramped space at the Kalsanka circle is further obstructed by the presence of five police booths, making smooth traffic flow a challenge.

Experts suggest that managing traffic with a single booth and removing the rest could create space for unhindered vehicle movement. However, the unnecessary presence of multiple booths has only exacerbated the problem.

Currently, one or two traffic police officers are deployed at the Kalsanka Junction daily. Surprisingly, one of the booths is never used by the officers, who instead sit in a small shed near the auto-rickshaw stand during off-peak hours. Ironically, the police booths themselves contribute to the traffic congestion.

 The traffic woes at Kalsanka Junction remain unresolved. Observing the vehicular congestion, authorities have reintroduced measures similar to previous ones. Commuters traveling from Gundibail and Udupi City to the Sri Krishna Matha are now required to take a U-turn at Kadiyali due to barricades blocking the direct route to the Matha.

Tourists Confused

Road signs, including Google Maps directions and boards installed across the city, indicate the route to Sri Krishna Matha via the junction. Visitors following these signs often reach the junction only to face confusion. Many vehicles are stopped mid-road, further aggravating traffic jams.

From 9 AM to 1 PM, a single traffic police officer is stationed at the junction, struggling to manage the chaos.

In June, a lack of barriers on both sides of the Indrali stream near the route to Shri Krishna Matha led to an auto-rickshaw overturning into the stream, injuring the passengers. After a report by Udayavani, authorities have initiated the process of installing barriers at the site.

Change Is Inevitable

“Changes like these are necessary during peak traffic hours. However, during non-peak hours, efforts will be made to allow vehicles to move as before,” said Prakash Salian, Sub-Inspector of the Traffic Police Station.