Sherab Lhamo

Over a thousand people have downloaded the “Bhutan Road Safety Watch” app on android, developed by the Department of Surface transport (DoST) to provide real-time information on road blocks in the country.

Travelling in summer is challenging with numerous road blocks. Last year, around 340 roadblocks were recorded. In the last one week, following incessant rainfall, about 30 roadblocks were recorded.

The DoST urged and notified the public to use the app for timely information on roadblocks since last Tuesday.

The app is updated with real time information from more than 100 site engineers spread across the country to give real time information on road conditions. The app is not limited to monsoon roadblocks but also roadblock due to snowfall, slope failures, rock and debris fall, and landslides.

This monsoon has been challenging as predicted by the National Centre for Hydrology and Meteorology with above-normal rainfall and the potential for extreme weather events for the remainder of the monsoon season.

In September, there were around 38 roadblocks and around 32 roadblock in August—around 70 roadblocks in the span of two months alone. This data was collected through the roadblock post posted on the DoST Facebook page under the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport.

While analysing the data, it was learned that the most common occurrence of roadblock was at the 15km from Gelephu (Box Cut) on Trongsa-Gelephu Primary National Highways (PNH). Within the two months around 19 roadblocks occurred.

Majority of the roadblock incidents were reported in the eastern and the southern regions. Landslides were the primary cause of roadblocks, affecting several route sections in Chhukha, Zhemgang, Wangdue, Trongsa, Gelephu, Dagana, Samdrupjongkhar, Mongar and Bumthang.

Although the app is developed to provide timely information on roadblocks to the public, it is not very popular among regular commuters.

A taxi driver said most do not use the app but rely on their Whatsapp group chat to get information on roadblocks.

Many regular drivers rely on personal connections with traffic police, Bhutan Construction and Transport Authority officials, or WhatsApp groups for roadblock information rather than using the app.

The application was developed at the cost of Nu 800,000.

There are about 300 downloads of this application in IOS.