Udupi: The issue of banning vehicular traffic on Car Street dominated the general body meeting of the Udupi City Municipal Council (CMC) held here on Wednesday.

Raising the issue, councillor Shyamprasad Kudva said that there had been a persistent demand from people to allow vehicular traffic from Kanakadasa Road to Tenkapete. Of the five gates installed on Car Street, only two needed to be opened to allow movement of vehicular traffic. The CMC should urge Deputy Commissioner Hemalatha to open the gates at Kanakadasa and Tenkapete roads, he said.

He added that people were questioning the proposal to widen the Tenkapete and Badagupete roads. Councillor M.R. Pai said it had become difficult to carry out repairs of the high-mast lamps and drainage system on Car Street.

The equipment to repair the lamps and drainage system could not pass through the narrow gates installed there. Ms. Hemalatha should have consulted the CMC as the latter did all the maintenance work, he said.

Intervening, CMC president Dinakar Shetty said that when people had opposed the installation of the gates, Ms. Hemalatha cited security concerns at the Sri Krishna temple. The Deputy Commissioner and Superintendent of Police should take the CMC into confidence before issuing such notifications, he said.

Kiran Kumar, councillor, said that the behaviour of the village accountant at Shivally village was rude. Devendra Prabhu, councillor, said that since seven CMC wards came under the Shivally village, it should be split into divisions. Intervening, Mr. Shetty said that he would raise both issues with the Udupi tahsildar.