The trial run conducted on Monday to divert two-wheelers, autorickshaws and light goods vehicles passing through the North overbridge along alternative roads was a success, the Traffic Police said.
The trial was organised prior to dismantling the bridge's two-wheeler bays. Thus, only buses and cars were permitted through the Ernakulam North overbridge between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Monday.
The City Police Commissioner M. R. Ajithkumar said that decision to divert the three categories of vehicles was carried out based on a traffic survey undertaken along the bridge a fortnight ago, which showed that they together constituted a major share of vehicles using the bridge. “Soon, direction and no-parking boards would be placed along the alternative roads. Fifty traffic wardens too would be posted here,” he said.
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The Kerala State Construction Corporation has promised to resurface the alternative roads – which together works out to around 10 kms, if they get 10 days of dry spell. The machinery and materials are ready, he said.
D. B. Binu, a lawyer who commutes on a two-wheeler, said that he spent over 30 minutes extra to reach the court through alternative roads on Monday. “Most of the roads were severely potholed. The collection of toll over the Pullepady bridge and the unscientific location of the toll booth created traffic snarls on either side. The Corporation of Kochi must widen and resurface the Thammanam-Pullepady Road before vehicles are diverted,” he said.
The Kerala Samsthana Janakeeya Prathirodha Samity and the Ernakulam block committee of the DYFI have condemned the diversion of vehicles through potholed side roads. All potholed roads must be urgently repaired, they demanded.
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Buses diversion
In the meanwhile, the diversion of select long-distance private and KSRTC buses through the Vytilla bus terminal cum mobility hub between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. from Monday onwards did not yield the desired results. While most long-distance private buses called at the hub, a good many superfast, express and deluxe buses of the KSRTC continued to call at the RTC's main bus stand off MG Road. Commuters had a tough time as there was confusion about the routes/stand through which the buses would ply.
Aimed at decongesting the central city, the proposal was to henceforth operate most superfast buses through the hub, by diverting them through the Edapally-Aroor NH bypass. Private city and mofussil buses would continue to be based at the Kaloor stand. The KSRTC buses that end their trip in Ernakulam and its 25 fast passenger services (that ply though Thopumpady) would continue to operate from the city bus stand.
The KSRTC's Ernakulam zonal officer- in-charge Sebastian Thomas said that it would take another two or three days to streamline bus services from the hub. The communication to divert long-distance (inter-district) buses that conduct around 2,000 trips daily through the city reached many depot offices only on Monday, he said.