CPI(M) district secretary P. Rajeeve, who visited the Champakkara fish market on Saturday, said that the 200-year-old market should not be closed on account of the ongoing Kochi metro rail works. He said in a statement here that the Corporation of Cochin and KMRL should intervene immediately on the matter.
He said that toll collection from vehicles using the Container Road should not be allowed at this juncture as work on the Kochi metro has forced diversion of traffic to the road. Commuters are often forced to use the road on account of the severe traffic congestion, he said. Toll collection may be considered after the Metro rail work is completed and traffic movement is back to normal, he added.
The Champakkara market, he said, was a source of work for thousands of people but has limited facilities and once the metro rail construction begins, movement of vehicles to and from the market would be blocked, he said.
He suggested that land lying close to the market should be acquired to improve the facilities of the market and appealed to the State government to intervene to ensure that the market is not closed.
“200-year-old market should not be closed down on account of metro works.”
