Tarun Karthick
Sri Vijaya Puram, 11 November 2025
Mr. TSG Bhasker, Chairman of the Campaign Committee of the Andaman & Nicobar Territorial Congress Committee (ANTCC), has written to the Chief Secretary of the Andaman & Nicobar Administration reiterating his request to allow autorickshaws to ply over the Chatham Bridge to alleviate the growing difficulties faced by the residents of South Andaman District.
In his letter, Mr. Bhasker drew attention to the severe inconvenience being faced by residents of Bambooflat and adjoining Panchayats due to the ongoing restrictions on the movement of autorickshaws, cars, and buses over the bridge. He noted that commuters are forced to walk nearly one kilometre between the Chatham Jetty and the main road, often under harsh sunlight or heavy rain, which causes immense hardship to senior citizens, women carrying infants, school children, daily commuters, and tourists.
While acknowledging the Administration’s effort to deploy a battery-operated rickshaw to ease the problem, Mr. Bhasker remarked that a single vehicle is grossly inadequate to cater to the large number of people who depend on this route daily.
He further observed that the closure of the bridge to certain vehicles was based on a recommendation from a technical team assessing its structural condition. Mr. Bhasker urged the Administration to conduct a fresh, detailed structural stability survey through another competent agency and to review the existing restrictions based on the new findings.
Mr. Bhasker appealed to the Administration to allow autorickshaws to operate over the Chatham Bridge at the earliest, emphasizing that such a step would greatly ease the suffering of commuters.
