Deteriorating road conditions along some stretches of Trongsa-Zhemgang highway have been bothering commuters for years now. The commuters say that despite being a national highway, bad road condition along the stretch has been a never-ending issue. Now they want the concerned authorities to re-surface and blacktop the deteriorated stretches before the approach of monsoon.
The stretch of road between Trongsa town and Kuenga Rabten under Draagteng Gewog to Reotala has developed potholes resulting in uneven road surface which are posing damage to vehicles. Commuters say it has come off time for the concerned authorities to patch the potholes. The situation is reported to turn worst during the summer.
“It would benefit if the road is blacktopped. Highway conditions in some other districts are nice and commuters can reach their destination on time. But in our case, it’s just the opposite. And this problem has been continuing for some time now,” said Ugyen Tenzin bus driver between Gelephu and Bumthang.
“The road condition never seems to improve here. Our car gets hit the uneven surface,” added PhurbaWangdi, a Taxi Driver in Trongsa.
The issue has also been raised several times during the Dzongkhag Tshogdu.
“The Department of Roads office might have plans to improve the condition of the highway. But the work has not yet begun. We have been informing the Dzongkhag. I hope they will work on improving the road condition soon,” said Karma Lethro, Trongsa Thromde Thuemi.
Meanwhile, the Department of Roads office in Trongsa said there is no budget allocated for re-surfacing and blacktopping of the highway in the current financial year. However, the office will be carrying out maintenance wherever necessary.
Passang
