Vypeen MLA-designate S. Sarma has said an emergency government-level meeting will be convened shortly to discuss the long-standing issue of the entry of private buses from the Goshree islands to the city.
At present, these bus services are permitted up to the High Court Junction, an arrangement that has been in place ever since the three Goshree bridges were commissioned in the year 2004.
“The meeting will verify whether there are legal impediments to the entry of Goshree buses to the city and discuss ways to address them.
“The need for a policy decision at the government level will also be discussed at the meeting,” the MLA-designated told The Hindu while listing his plans for his island contituency.
The islanders have been constantly complaining about the inconvenience caused to them by the ban on the entry of buses from the islands to the city, as they have to change buses to reach destinations in Kochi.
Elaborating on his plans, Mr. Sarma said he had submitted an ‘e-yatra’ project, which was aimed at converting Vypeen into an accident-free area, to the government. For the record, vehicular traffic through Vypeen has increased manifold of late, with the route being increasingly preferred by even motorists from the Malabar region to reach Kochi. “Under the project, traffic signals will be installed wherever necessary, and handrails will be built along roads. Also, cameras will be mounted for constant surveillance, and pedestrian crossings will be marked to make Vypeen a safe place to travel,” Mr. Sarma said.
He also plans to make efforts to set up a college in Vypeen, which has no higher education institution within its limits.
Constructing a beach road parallel to the existing Vypeen-Munambam road is high on Mr. Sarma’s priority list. Also, plans are afoot to construct breakwaters for the protection of the beach. “These [breakwaters] are vital to the protection of coastal population from the vagaries of sea erosion. Raging sea invading the coastal road and houses nearby is a recurring phenomenon in Vypeen during monsoon, forcing the authorities to shift people to temporary shelters,” he said.
Safeguarding the beach is also critical to the prospects of the fishing sector, Mr. Sarma said. He said steps would be taken for the development of Munambam and Azheekkal fishing harbours.
