10 months after the commissioning of a six-lane flyover at Kerala’s biggest traffic intersection, the growing traffic chaos at Vytila Junction has raised fears that the swamp will worsen when schools and other educational institutions reopen in November.
Traffic police, civic officials and others have expressed displeasure over the unscientific roundabouts below the flyover and inordinate delay in reducing the boundary of the wide central by the state government and the PWD (NH Wing).
“It is shocking that assurances by the PWD and the state government to rectify the serious discrepancies in the design of the structures under the flyover have not materialized despite serpentine snarls and chaotic traffic movement at the junction. Sunita Dixon, chairperson of Kochi Corporation’s Works Standing Committee and councilor representing Vaytila division, said they should at least make optimum use of the available space under the flyover, which was taken up by the PWD by building concrete structures.
“Public Works Minister Mohammad Rias, who conducted a site inspection of Vyttila and convened meetings to arrive at short- and long-term solutions to end the traffic jams at the junction, should intervene immediately and ensure that the decisions taken in the meetings They should also pull up the concerned PWD (NH Wing) officials who failed to act on the decisions taken earlier this year. This is because of both political and official apathy, roundabouts and middle ground. This is evident from the excessive delay in clearing parts of the state, thereby streamlining the traffic flow at the busiest junction in Kerala,” she said.
Ms Dixon expressed displeasure at the absence of footpaths, despite thousands of pedestrians mobilizing at the junction every day. The government has not taken action to build a road connecting Kaniyampuzha Road and Vaytila-Tripunithura Road, despite the separation of land at Vaitila Mobility Hub.
Police angry with inaction
A senior police officer expressed disappointment over nothing being done, despite forcing the traffic police to close the road on the northern side of the intersection and divert vehicles from SA Road to Thripunithura via an alternate track on the southern side. had gone. “Faulty engineering by PWD has disrupted the movement of traffic and pedestrians at the junction. Sadly, in a site visit-cum-meeting organized by top officials of police, Kochi Corporation, district administration and public representatives, the department has not taken steps to rectify things, despite short and long term solutions being void.
Criticizing the PWD for not acting on the request by the police, he said the department also made a mistake while assessing the traffic pattern at the junction, as the flyover caters to only 30% vehicles, mostly long distance.
The rest have to fight for space and wait till the end at the signal junction below.
Palarivattom Model
Meanwhile, an official who was instrumental in formulating the traffic-movement plan below Palarivattom Junction, in which vehicles through Civil Line Road rely on a pair of U-turns built under a four-lane flyover, said that Such a system should be adopted, at least on the Palarivattom side of Vaytila Junction, where traffic hold-ups are intense.
“This can be done when an approximately two-lane width is cut through the middle of the heavy concrete that the PWD has built under the flyover, below the span, which has sufficient vertical clearance to carry heavy vehicles. Is. Similarly, vehicles from Kaniyampuzha Road should be diverted through Vaytila hub, as their direct entry into Vaytila Junction is causing traffic disruption,” he said.