Road Work, Bus Shortage: Police Bus Arranged for Sabarimala Pilgrims Following SP’s Intervention
Pampa: Superintendent of Police R. Anand arranged a police bus to transport Sabarimala pilgrims on Sunday evening (October 18, 2026), following a shortage of KSRTC buses on the Nilakkal–Pampa route.
The shortage of buses was caused by ongoing road construction work on the Pampa–Chalakkayam stretch, which disrupted KSRTC services and created travel difficulties for pilgrims. To address the situation, SP R. Anand intervened and arranged a police bus to help transport stranded devotees.
The police have also requested KSRTC to deploy additional buses on the route to ensure smooth transportation for pilgrims. KSRTC officials have assured that necessary steps will be taken to provide more buses.
Meanwhile, construction work on the Pampa–Chalakkayam road has been temporarily suspended following severe traffic congestion along the Sabarimala route. Police had earlier warned that the increasing arrival of devotees for the monthly pooja could further worsen traffic conditions.
Repair work on the road, which was taken over by the Public Works Department from the Travancore Devaswom Board due to financial constraints, had been delayed. The work had begun only recently before being temporarily suspended due to traffic concerns.