The name Ernakulam is not well known outside Kerala and non-Malayalis coming to Kochi via train often get confused between Enakulam Junction and Ernakulam Town railway stations. It would be ideal to rename the Ernakulam Junction Railway station as Kochi Central and Ernakulam Town as Kochi North.
— Vinod KP, Vyttila.
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The Ernakulam Town and the Ernakulam Junction are accessed by thousands every day. However, the names confuse first-timers. Prominent Kochiite like K.M. Roy had raised this issue in the governing body meeting of one of the institutions under the Corporation of Cochin. Since Cochin Harbour Terminus is not a very active station, we should seriously consider giving these two rail stations a change of name. We will place the same in the agenda of Town Planning Committee very soon and the council will also pass a resolution and take it up with the Ministry of Railways. I am sure the Ministry will change the station names to Kochi Central and Kochi North as well.
Tipper lorries, though are prohibited on certain roads, still take these roads. Mamangalam-Pottakuzhy Road, where there is a restriction on tippers, is an example.
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Police Commissioner
K.G. James:
There is no prohibition for tipper lorry service on any roads in the city. But the RTA has imposed time restriction on their operation during the school rush hours i.e. from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 3.30 p.m. to 4.30 p.m. As the tipper lorries are not allowed to use the main roads from 8.30 a.m. to 8.30 p.m., they take pocket roads. We have been maintaining a strict vigil wherever possible on ovespeeding tippers.
There is a strong demand from the residents of Tripunithura for extending Kochi Metro from Aluva to Tripunithura in the first phase itself instead of Aluva-Pettah, as originally proposed. The terminal station can be located on nine acres of unused land owned by the Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) near SN Junction.
—Neelakantan Manguzhy, Tripunithura.
District Collector
P.I. Sheikh Pareeth:
The present project of Metro is from Aluva to Pettah. There was a proposal initially to extend Kochi Metro rail to Tripunithura. But due to technical reason this could not be take up. The distance from Pettah to Tripunithura is about 2.1 km and KMRL will have to bear an additional expense of Rs. 400 crore if extension is considered. A thorough financial viability study on the cost involved has to be done. First, we have to find out whether SAIL is willing to handover the land for construction of metro terminal station. We will take up the matter with the authorities concerned for necessary action in due course.
Compiled by K.K. Sankaran