The Hindu : Kerala News : Traffic innovations in the city being implemented Traffic in Focus

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Kerala

Traffic innovations in the city being implemented Traffic in Focus

— Photo: Vipin Chandran

CHOC-A-BLOC: Vehicles parked on both sides of the busy M.G. Road are an impediment to traffic.

On any given day, there are at least 1,000 vehicles parked along M.G. Road. This reduces the width of the road for vehicular traffic to almost single lane in certain areas. In order to solve this problem, the authori

ties, by offering attractive incentives, should encourage hoteliers, shop owners and those who now have pay-and-park facilities to construct large multi-storied parking lots. Introduce one-way system: one of the reasons for traffic snarls is that almost all our roads have two-way traffic. Introduce one-way traffic in more roads. Shift bus stops: there are several areas where bus stops are in very busy places and also on narrow stretches of M.G. Road. Buses at these stops almost block the road, causing traffic jams. Proper bus bays should also be provided. Also, build overhead or underground pedestrian crossings at key junctions.

K. George Jacob

By email We have been cracking down on unauthorised parking on M.G. Road and we will be continuing this drive using our recovery vehicles. We are conducting many traffic innovations in the city and this includes opening up of many junctions.

Also, we have stopped tipper and other lorries from plying inside the city from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Making footpaths pedestrian-friendly is the job of the concerned departments.

And we on our side are removing all unwanted parking in busy areas and also on the footpaths so as to clear them for the pedestrians.

We have set up a committee to study the bus shelters existing now and will soon be cutting down on bus stops within one kilometre and those near the junctions.

Also a special drive is now on to implement lane discipline and also to enforce more discipline through spot fines.

We on an average fine more than 8,000 cases per month in the area of traffic violations.

It may be a good idea to give permit to a few autorickshaws to make small conversion by adding one more seat so as to accommodate six passengers and to run on a fixed route where there is heavy traffic. They should b

e allowed to levy a fixed charge per passenger. This system already exists in Chennai. Pedestrians cross anywhere they like. This has to stop and pedestrians should be allowed to cross only at the zebra crossings.

R.K. Iyer

Thripunithura Your suggestion is good, but this requires concurrence of the Transport Department. We will take this up as a proposal and see whether this can be made workable.

We are trying and encouraging pedestrians to cross on zebra crossings only, but there are no means to implement it effectively, except by individual discipline.

It is nice to see policemen standing in the middle of the road near the Kaloor church to avoid overtaking. But this scene is only during Tuesdays and Saturdays. Could this be implemented daily and throughout the day?

Is it possible to have a median in that area, this being a permanent solution. Can we have a median from Deshabhimani to Kaloor signal?

Satheesh

By email The matter of construction of a median has been taken up and the PWD has given a contract for the construction of medians on this road and that is bound to prevent a lot of dangerous overtaking.

One of the main reasons for traffic blocks is the congestion created by cinema theatres. There is hardly any time gap between two film shows with the result that traffic is blocked for at least three times a day near

theatres. This can be avoided by asking the theatres to have sufficient breaks between film shows.

Harikrishnan P.K

Kadavanthra This seems like a good suggestion.

Let me study the same, for it requires concurrence from other departments and if found feasible, then we will implement the same.

The Koithara road connecting Panampilly Nagar and Thevara is very narrow and there is no option for widening the road. Because of this bottleneck, the traffic through the road is very problematic. In order to overco

me this, it is suggested to make this 60-metre distance (Panampilly Nagar south-end to the starting point of Shipyard quarters road) as one-way route and divert the traffic from Thevara through the Shipyard quarters road to Panampilly Nagar.

G. Rajendran

Kochi Let me see if this is workable, we will try to do the same and if it works, we will implement it on a permanent basis.

Lack of traffic control at the junction of BOT bridge at Willington Island, especially during peak hours, is causing long lines of waiting vehicles and accidents. Please put up a traffic lights system there.

O.B. Nair

Poonithura We will look into your suggestion and try to establish a traffic signal system here so that this problem can be sorted out.

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