Narrow footpaths and roads, heavy traffic and a long line of parked vehicles greet pedestrians at Convent Junction on a working day. The problem is most acute at the four-way junction where roads leading from MG Road, Press Club Road, Ernakulam Market and Ernakulam General Hospital meet. The haphazard parking of vehicles at the junction, besides the traffic bottlenecks, often adds to the woes of pedestrians who struggle to make their way. They are forced to walk around the vehicles as footpaths are often inaccessible to them.
The large number of shops along these busy roads makes matters worse for pedestrians. Shoppers here park their vehicles at the place most convenient to them. Though vehicles are not allowed to move from the four-way junction on the west end towards MG Road on the east, vehicles are often seen breaking the rule causing traffic blocks. The problem is less frequent when traffic wardens are present at the junction. The movement of heavy vehicles on the narrow roads is also a cause for worry for pedestrians who are virtually prevented from walking during busy hours as lorries move to and from Ernakulam market. Goods lorries often use the more convenient roads that pass through the Convent Junction to access the Ernakulam Market, the hub of vegetable and provisions business in the city. Adding to the problems of pedestrians are heaps of waste gathered by Corporation workers as part of the cleaning of drains that run along the roads.