The road closure timing at Namling between Bumthang and Monggar highway continues to frustrate the travellers. Vehicles have to start as early as three in the morning from Bumthang to avoid waiting for hours at the road widening site. The widening work began more than a year ago.
The media highlighted the issue more than two months ago but there are no changes in the timing yet. Vehicles can still be seen travelling in the wee hours of the morning from Bumthang. The road opens only twice a day from 9 to 10 in the morning and 1:30 to 2:30 in the afternoon. That is two hours a day. The road remains closed for more than seven hours a day. People are once again asking authorities to fix a convenient timing.
“Drivers sleep only at around 11 pm and they have to wake up by 2:30 am and start the journey which is risky. I think if the timing can’t be changed, buses coming from Thimphu can halt the night at Sengor so that it would be okay to start the journey at 5, the next morning,” said Chempo, a resident of Trashi Yangtse.
“Each driver has to risk the lives of at least 20 passengers and it worries us when they don’t get enough sleep. We want the timing changed as fast as possible,” said Chengala from Lhuentse.
Another traveller from Lhuentse, Yangkula said, “the road from Ura to Yongkola is in very bad condition. It is very risky when we have to drive in the dark. It would help us if the officials could allow the buses to pass through without having to wait for the opening timing.”
The Road Safety and Transport Authority in Bumthang wrote to the Department of Roads in Lingmithang. The Chief Engineer of the roads department said a consultation meeting was held with RSTA and traffic officials in Monggar.
“We have requested RSTA officials and traffic police to fix a convenient timing. The road closure timing for the winter and summer months is different, so we have agreed to fix a new timing for the winter months,” said Kinzang Dorji, the Chief Engineer of the DoR Regional Office in Lingmithang, Monggar.
The officials are also planning to keep the road open once a day but for a longer duration. But problems might continue since the road will be ready only in two years.
Kipchu, Bumthang
Edited by Sonam
