KSRTC bus breakdown triggers severe traffic jam on Thamarassery Ghat road

Kozhikode: Amid growing demands for a permanent solution to recurring traffic congestion on the Wayanad Ghat Road connecting Kozhikode and Wayanad, a KSRTC bus breakdown triggered severe traffic disruption on the Thamarassery Ghat on Monday morning.

The bus got stranded at the sixth hairpin bend at around 7 am due to a mechanical failure, forcing authorities to allow only small vehicles to pass through the stretch in a single lane for more than four hours. Several long-distance buses and goods vehicles remained stuck in the resulting traffic jam.

The stranded bus was removed from the spot around 10 am following police intervention, after which heavy vehicles were also allowed to move in both directions. However, traffic was expected to take another one to two hours to return to normal as vehicles trapped in the long queues began moving through the ghat.

“Vehicles have started passing through the affected stretch after the bus was removed. We expect the long queues to clear within a few hours, after which traffic should return to normal,” a police official at the Thamarassery police station said.

Since Monday was the first working day after the Onam holidays, traffic on the ghat was heavy from early morning. By around 9 am, the traffic jam had extended up to Adivaram.

The disruption came a day after another major traffic bottleneck was reported on the ghat. On Sunday, a container lorry became stranded near the fifth and sixth hairpin bends, leading to heavy congestion. Traffic was restored only by Sunday afternoon.

According to members of the Wayanad Churam Action Council, a sudden surge in heavy-vehicle movement, particularly trucks, after midnight was one of the main reasons for the massive traffic congestion.

“Heavy vehicles, especially trucks, are prohibited from using the ghat road during the daytime. Once the restriction is lifted around midnight, trucks begin moving in long convoys. If even one heavy vehicle gets stranded at a hairpin bend, the entire traffic movement can collapse. The ongoing road repair works and lane restrictions have made the situation even more difficult,” said Lathif, a member of the Wayanad Churam Action Council.

Residents and motorists have also identified the damaged stretch near the eighth hairpin bend as a major bottleneck. A portion of the road has caved in, forcing authorities to regulate traffic through a single lane. This frequently results in long queues, particularly when heavy vehicles attempt to pass through the stretch.

Residents have also raised concerns over the lack of round-the-clock police deployment at every hairpin bend, saying the absence of personnel at critical points makes it difficult to manage traffic during emergencies.