Even as traffic congestions reach abysmal proportions on the two National Highways passing through the city, the Road Transport Authority (RTA) and the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) are yet to come out with concrete solutions to make use of underutilised roads such as the stretches on the Mini Bypass and the Kozhikode Bypass.
The National Highway No. 17 (Kannur Road) and National Highway No. 212 (Wayanad Road) experience traffic snarls even during non-peak hours. But only a few buses operate service on the Mini Bypass, stretching from Chungam to Meenchanda and the Kozhikode Bypass, from Pooladikunnu to Idimuzhikkal.
“Private buses conduct services linking to some entry points especially at junctions either at Karaparamba or Eranhipalam or Thondayad or Malaparamba,” says P.A. Jaiprakash, a resident.
“Thus, if a person from Karaparamba has to reach West Hill, a distance of 2 km, he has to catch two city buses. First he has to travel by bus from Karaparamba to East Nadakkavu or Manorama Junction on the Wayanad Road, walk a distance of 200 m to Nadakkavu or English Church Junction on the Kannur Road and then board a second bus to West Hill, thus travelling more than 6 km,” he says.
Similarly, there is virtually no bus service from East Hill to any other part of the city. Just two buses operate to Edakkad.
“People have to depend on autorickshaws at the junction. And, after 6 p.m. you are at the mercy of autorickshaw drivers who refuse to ply to your destination. You will have to walk nearly 1.5 k.m. either to Karaparamba or West Hill to catch a bus,” K. Venu, another resident, adds.
Public plea
A shopkeeper, S.K. Rajan, laments about the dearth of public transport on the 3-km Karaparamba - Kunduparamba route.
“The local people have to rely on own vehicles or resort to hitchhiking. You also won’t get an autorickshaw on that stretch. A long-pending demand of the residents is a bus service from Zeena Plastics to Kaiprathuppalam,” he says.
Only a few buses operate service along the
Mini Bypass, from Chungam to Meenchanda, and the Kozhikode Bypass, from
Pooladikunnu to Idimuzhikkal.
