Road users decry congestion on Civil Line Road

PWD, police under fire for not acting against encroachments and illegal parking

Residents, traders, bus operators, and others have decried the massive traffic gridlocks on Civil Line Road during the past few months, what with the fiery Thrikkakara bypoll campaign worsening snarls.

The alleged ineptitude of the Public Works Department (PWD) and the police in acting against encroachments, haphazardly installed steel poles, and illegal parking, which in turn led to the width of the road reducing considerably, has been a topic of discussion among commuters. Moreover, the alleged delay on the part of Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) in widening the road as part of the metro’s preparatory work for the Kakkanad extension is being blamed for the predicament facing tens of thousands of commuters and pedestrians in the corridor.

The metro agency has already come under fire for not readying alternative roads to divert vehicles, when worksites are barricaded for piling and other construction work for the metro’s extension.

Palachuvadu resident T.A. Supran expressed dismay at the attitude of activists and leaders of political parties who oftentimes were unmindful of the predicament of road users, residents, and traders when their campaign trail, unchecked erection of flex boards, and far too many slow-moving campaign vehicles disrupted normal life. “Aged people, patients, and children were the worst hit, while autorickshaw drivers charged higher fare as traffic snarls worsened. Commuting to the city and back has become a nightmare,” he said.

The extensive barricading on Seaport-Airport Road for widening it for the metro’s extension has in turn thrown traffic haywire on the road too. Government agencies that ought to ensure smooth traffic have turned dormant, he added.

Salim Kunnumpuram, another resident, wondered why Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) had not developed alternative roads like Pipeline Road, Vennala-Palachuvadu-Kakkanad Road, and Vennnala-Arakkakadavu Road to divert vehicles as part of the metro’s extension. “On its part, the State government ought to sanction the Thuthiyur-Eroor overbridge which was mooted two decades ago. This will help vehicles reach Kakkanad from Vyttila itself. The police must curb parking from Palarivattom to Kunnumpuram, while exhorting motorists to use pay and park lots,” he said.

A traffic police officer said the PWD, the agency that owns Civil Line Road, should spearhead removal of encroachments and other impediments to safe and smooth traffic.