With the surge in private vehicles, overloading within a single vehicle has significantly decreased compared to previous years. While city buses still experience crowding during peak hours, they typically carry a manageable number of passengers at other times. However, a disturbing trend has emerged in Mangaluru and surrounding regions—people being transported in goods carriers, including tempos, posing serious safety risks.

Migrant workers from North Karnataka, North India, and other regions arrive in Mangaluru for employment. To shuttle them between worksites, hazardous methods are frequently used. Women and children are often seen packed into overloaded goods vehicles, increasing the risk of accidents.

Drivers show little concern for the dangers involved, and passengers, driven by economic necessity, continue to travel this way. Authorities must intervene and enforce safer transport options to prevent potential tragedies.

Spike in self-accidents

Mangaluru has witnessed a surge in self-accidents, primarily due to speeding and reckless driving. Vehicles frequently crash into dividers, electric poles, trees, and barricades. Police report that within Commissionerate limits, 3-4 such accidents occur daily, with 90% of victims being two-wheeler riders, pillion riders, or pedestrians.

In 2024, 175 people lost their lives in 170 accidents, while 1,170 sustained injuries in 853 incidents. Two-wheeler riders and pedestrians remain the most vulnerable, highlighting an urgent need for stricter traffic enforcement and road safety awareness.