Motorists’ reluctance to adhere to lane traffic norms leads to traffic chaos at the Fourth railway gate on P.T. Usha Road and often the gatekeeper finds it difficult to close the level-cross gates.
Pedestrians and motorists on the route allege that the policemen and home guards posted near the railway gate and the nearby junction do not bother to intercept vehicles defying lane traffic rules. Often vehicles get trapped between the railway gates, making it difficult for the gatekeeper to close the gates, they say.
“It is often the local people who swing into action to clear the route,” says a mechanic from the area. Even a small block in the area can lead to traffic snarls, stalling free movement of even pedestrians, he says.
It is the drivers’ unhealthy haste to overtake other vehicles and cross the track that leads to issues, say traders in the area. Minor collisions between vehicles are not uncommon.
Simultaneous entry of many vehicles from a number of small link roads between the railway cross and the Kozhikode-Kannur National Highway worsens the situation. Also, vehicles enjoy unrestricted right and left turns on the stretch.
Flyover
“Even a two-wheeler rider’s indiscipline can cause blocks at this small junction which is always crowded with vehicles from different sides,” says Sobin Mathew, an executive working with a private firm in the city. He says a flyover will help ease the traffic chaos on the route.
