Coimbatore bottlenecks: ICLEI to carry out study

Coimbatore Corporation to take necessary measures after getting the report

A view of the road in front of the Coimbatore Railway Junction. Photo: M. Periasamy

In an effort aimed at easing traffic congestion at a few bottlenecks, the Coimbatore Corporation is planning to provide a few solutions.

According to sources, the corporation has decided to study bottlenecks on NSR Road in Saibaba Colony, Shoba Corner at the Big Bazaar Street-Oppanakara Street Junction, Lanka Corner, and a few other areas.

The study to be conducted by the NGO, ICLEI, and a few other agencies with expertise in traffic management and roads would cover the type of road, number of type of vehicle movement, the topography — as in the number of commercial establishments, the type and number of roads near the bottlenecks, the time of the day when the traffic increased, how the situation could be improved and what needed to be done for the same. The type of solutions would depend on the study — it could be simple solutions like better traffic management or creating more facilities or removing encroachments or widening the road. The sources said that the study included putting in place the necessary measures to ease movement of pedestrians. The interests of those who used public transport too would be accommodated. Once the agencies completed the study, the NGO, ICLEI, would present the report to the corporation, which after taking into confidence the council, would devise the further course of action.

The sources said that the efforts to ease traffic congestion in the bottlenecks were one of the several measures the civic body had initiated in the recent past. The corporation had recently proposed construction of flyovers at important junctions on State Highways and National Highways in the city to ease movement of vehicles on the arterial roads.

It had planned construction of foot-over bridges near bus stands and important junctions to help pedestrians cross the road. A few of the proposed bridges or skywalks would be automated.

The sources said that some of the big projects that involved multiple agencies could be a part of the city development plan that the corporation was in the process of preparing.