Nightmarish condition of a road most taken

The road from Kumarapuram to the MCH can give even the best of vehicles a run for their money.

For those coming to the outpatient (OP) wing of the Medical College Hospital (MCH), Thiruvananthapuram, treatment is often not the first thing running through their minds. The road from Kumarapuram, when it takes a sharp turn to the OP complex, gives even the best of vehicles a run for its money.

When it rains, the road hardly resembles one. At the receiving end are people who walk to the OP and those who arrive on two-wheelers. In equal disarray is the road leading to the Directorate of Medical Education.

In addition to potholes, commuters also have to contend with long stretches of darkness. It is anyone’s guess as to what the officials charged with the upkeep of roads are doing. They certainly have not had the ‘good fortune’ of relying on the MCH OP.

Goods days are yet to drive into the modern bus terminal of the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC), opened with much fanfare in February, at the heart of the city at Thampanoor.

Much work remains to be done on the 12-storey complex at the terminal. Project officials had said during the inauguration of the bus station that passengers would have to wait for some more time to see the commercial hub in full swing.

The authorities have since been promising early completion of the work. The opening of the terminal had given a glimmer of hope to commuters but it faded soon.

Seven months down, the civil work remains where it stood during the inauguration. Other works are also pending. Work on a pathway to the terminal is yet to be completed.

The non-operational escalators are moving to disrepair and the tiles on the ground floor have come off. Commuters may have to wait longer and that is nothing new to them, after all.

The Peroorkada junction is turning out to be a headache for traffic planners of the city. A meeting point of four key roads, this junction has been witnessing huge traffic blocks for the past several months, so much so that the district administration has started thinking about an exclusive project to decongest it. The junction serves as an entry point to the city for vehicles from the Nedumangad side. The presence of a market and the taluk hospital close to the junction has meant that the place remains crowded for most parts of the day. An overbridge for vehicles heading to and from Nedumangad could reduce congestion, say local people.