For motorists who want to bypass the hectic traffic along the SA Road up to the Vytilla Junction, the Bund Road has long been the chosen alternative.
That alternative no longer exists with traffic police restricting the movement of four-wheelers in the stretch along the Bund Road to Vytilla from the point where the road is reduced to a narrow path.
The side road originating from the Bund Road immediately before that point and leading up to Vytilla Janatha has assumed importance since then, especially for four-wheelers.
However, what welcome motorists at the entry of the road are two poles placed on either side, obviously to restrict the traffic, with a placard hanging from one of it declaring that it was not a public road.
The road leads to a ‘T’ junction, taking a left deviation from where it would lead to Vytilla Janatha. Both ends of the road are in a rather bad condition.
Joshy, a construction worker in the locality, said that though the poles had been there for quite a while, they had not dampened the steady stream of traffic through this road without a name. “The traffic has increased manifold ever since movement of four wheelers through the Bund Road was banned. Even drivers of tipper lorries regularly use this road, skilfully manoeuvring through the space between the poles,” he said. He said that an initial few metres at the entry of the road, which belongs to a private landowner was embroiled in litigation before the court passed a verdict in his favour.
Ratnakumar, an electrician, said that if the landowner insisted on strictly implementing the verdict, then the space between two poles would further shrink throwing the traffic out of gear. “The increased traffic through the road means that the slab separating it from an underground drainage has been pummelled down interrupting water flow through the drainage,” he said.
Joseph, watchman at a flat complex right at the entry, said that a prominent builder has been trying to get the mouth of the road widened as the apartment owners stand to reap benefits.
Antony, who owns the land, said that the court verdict has been in his favour and that everything about the piece of land is in order. “It was out of humanitarian considerations that enough space has been provided at the entry of the road to facilitate traffic. Now, GCDA (Greater Cochin Development Authority) has agreed to take over the land as part of their road widening project,” he said. GCDA, he said, has agreed to give him an alternative plot, which he had already seen and agreed to.
GCDA chairman N. Venugopal said that plots are being taken over for widening the Bund Road . “Land will be acquired up to Champakkara Bridge as part of road widening project.” he said.
