Loten Zangmo

Thimphu thromde had filled up the two potholes located at the bend of the road that joins the expressway near Babesa fuel depot earlier this week.

Thromde officials say the road was repaired as part of their maintenance programme.

The potholes have made it difficult for commuters, who ply the stretch, especially during the morning rush hour without traffic control.  It even caused traffic congestion.

Officiating thrompon, Karma Namgyel, who is also the thromde’s executive secretary, said it was their job to fill every pothole, as there should not be any potholes in the country.

He acknowledged  the existence of potholes in the city and the problems they create for drivers but said that it was difficult to fill up every pothole as thromde had limited budget.

Many commuters plying that stretch of road are, however, shocked with the thromde’s repair work.

A corporate employee, Yangdon, said she could not understand why thromde just filled up two potholes that featured in the media and left other potholes near the BOD area. “I don’t understand why thromde officials didn’t see the other potholes and the need to fill them up.”

Another road user said commuters benefitted from the thromde’s decision to fill up the two potholes.

She said it not only made it comfortable to drive but also reduced their travel time, as they don’t have to wait. “But I don’t know how long it will last,” she wondered. “It’s just filled with soil and gravel and there’s no proper drain for the water flowing over the road.”

The thromde executive secretary said the road fell in a disputed area and they could not even widen it, although the thromde had allotted budget for it. “Since the landowner doesn’t allow us to widen it, the only solution is to turn the road into a one-way or close it.”