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It is relatively easy to take on the bus / transport lobby than the mining lobby. Lets try to achieve this first. Lets promote the campaign for more passenger trains to Mangalore from Bangalore

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Transports and mining ministries are one of the most politicised lobby filled ministries in Karnataka. In order to get posting of a minister in these two one has to shell out crores together. No wonder an entire matrix of corruption exists throughout these ministries and shirady ghat is a direct casualty of that.

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I found this para from the referenced article pretty interesting ->

According to an official of Kumara Gowda and sons (one of the mining companies in Sandhur),  the mining fines transport cannot be financially viable if they are carried in legal tonnage loads (LTL) as the value of transportation will be more than the value of the load. If a truck can carry only 10 tonnes to a distance of 450 kilometer the haulage charges was Rs. 6000 while the cost of 10 tonnes of mining files was Rs. 5000 at Rs. 500 per ton. So each truck was laden with double the load. A 12 tonner truck will carry nearly 18-20 tonnes while a 16 tonner will carry 40-45 tonnes.

I wonder if they have calculated what it costs their business to have a non operational road!! Typical short term thinking whereas the long term picture is - a road that is shutdown affecting business, having lengthy detours, higher maintenance and fuel costs on the trucks. 

Also, these lines (again from the referenced article) are interesting ->

The most important National Highway link between Mangalore and Bangalore, National Highway 48 stretch in Shirady has been destroyed again. There is no road and not even a sign of the thousands of tonnes of sand, granite stone, top layer has been washed out and the bare earth is now visible.
 
The 35 kilometer stretch between Adda Holay to Gundia was repaired at a cost of 35 crores for a period of 9 months (October 2007 -June1 2008) is facing closure again. The State National Highway division officials at Mangalore have indicated that the road is not motorable and is not in a position to be certified for safety of passengers and the vehicles. 

Now, I find it 100% impossible to believe a road that was repaired in the past 6 months has crumbled and vanished in a matter of 1 or 2 months. Even with the severest punishment of army tanks going up and down this road should have lasted much longer if the work was done properly. Looks, like the authorities take the public for a bunch of fools. I have a strong hunch that the quality of work is equally to be blamed along with overloaded trucks.

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wow! 40 tonnes!! that is maximum rating for some very well engineered roads and even then they have to be on dual carriages or long bodies. what types of trucks are these? its literally like dragging a sledgehammer through the roads that too with all those curves. also, this 35 crores for 35 kms is very interesting. About a year back, concrete on KH road in Bangalore cost exactly 1 crore/km. I will be really surprised if engineering + construction on a rain soaked mountain would be the same as that of flatland urban road. what happened to the trains? what is the problem with truck using trains? also, any idea about where the contractors and engineers for this road?

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This is an election year until May 2009 when general elections are due. If we start a campaign for additional trains from Bangalore - Mangalore, it might bear fruit if we start knocking at the right doors.

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