The Bhutanese Leading the way.
Two underpasses put in prioritized areas for the pedestrians’ safety by the Thimphu City Cooperation (TCC) have failed to fulfill the purpose they were built for.
Contrarily the designated passes have turned into a venue of filth and stench from the decay and stink generated from down below which is a logical and sensible reason for which these passes have never been used by the pedestrians.
According to Executive Engineer with Department of Roads (DoR) Chador Gyeltshen, through the environmental view the underpass is very filthy unlike in other countries where the underpasses are being effectively utilized.
He also said that the traffic congestion in Thimphu is less and the people barely have to pass through erected underpasses.
He added that as the traffic in Thimphu grows in time the number of underpasses would either have to increase or the erected ones would be used efficiently.
“With the rise in population and traffic hazards the underpass is expected to be used as a safety measure subway,” he said.
However the roads department after handing over the project to the office of Thimphu Thromde, the road department staffs and the Changangkha School together had planned for a better outcome, which never happened.
“The place is all messed-up with rubbish and feces (human excreta) all around and it is unsafe to walk as few boys take underpass to show aggression to a lone people who pass,” said Kinley Wangchuk, 26 who did actually use the underpass frequently.
While Melam Zangmo, a businesswoman said that she does use the underpass sometimes as she finds it very safe rather than walking among speeding cars.
“I make my way home faster during heavy traffic if I take underpass,” she added.
According to the Thimphu Thrompon, Kinlay Dorjee it disheartens him to see the well established underpasses not properly used and instead turned into hazard areas.
“Now the Thromde decided that the underpass crossings will be converted into a Flyover Bridge which will be divided into three express ways,” said the Thimphu Thrompon.
The two underpasses were initiated by Field Division under the DoR in 2007 and were operational in 2008 with Bitumen sealing and black toppings.
The total budget incurred to construct the two underpasses was Nu 3mn and they were inaugurated coinciding with centenary celebrations.
The underpasses were taken over by the Thimphu Thromde in 2010.
(Sonam Wangmo)
This is how the thromde uses our tax money.