Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah put an end to all rumors that the Bandipur line of NH-766 and NH-67 will be reopened at night.

Speculations regarding the reopening of the district flared up after Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar made a statement during the Wayanad by-election campaign.

Shivakumar, at a campaign rally on behalf of Priyanka Gandhi on November 9, said his government would discuss the night traffic ban in Bandipur after some representatives approached him on the issue. “We will call on both government and business to benefit both and look after the interests of our states,” he said.

Yaduveer Wadiyar, the BJP MP from Mysuru, reacted to this on social media. In a post on X, he wrote: “Karnataka’s ecological treasures should not be sacrificed for electoral gains elsewhere. Keep Bandipur safe and say NO to night travel in this sacred area.”

Former Karnataka Chief Minister Sadananda Gowda also shared the same sentiment, saying “political compromise on environmental safety is unacceptable”.

While the Bandipur section of National Highway 67 connects Karnataka to Tamil Nadu via Ooty, a portion of National Highway 766 connects to Kerala via Sultan Bathery.

Traffic restrictions have been in place at night since 2009 in order to protect wildlife in this region, which passes through the protected Bandipur Tiger Reserve.

This area is located on the border between Karnataka and Kerala, and traffic in this area is restricted between 9 pm and 6 am.