In the Corporation Council meeting here on Wednesday, the ruling front and opposition councillors were on the same page with regard to traffic on S.M. Street.
IUML councillor C. Abdurahiman said that there was a consensus of opinion among the merchants against the ban. Though the renovation of the main street had been completed, the side roads were in the same condition as before. The report submitted by the Indian Institute of Management on the issue of traffic ban had not yet been made public. It should be discussed, Mr.Abdurahiman said.
CPI(M) councillor K.M. Rafeeque said that more than 2,500 merchants were facing great financial difficulties due to the recession and implementation of the GST. The traffic ban was an added hurdle. There were days when they did not earn anything at all, he said, and suggested that traffic be allowed on the street except at peak hours in the evening.
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The traffic on S.M.Street was banned post-renovation in December 2017. The traffic to the street was blocked a year before that for the renovation works. Thus, the merchants were suffering for the past four years, Mr.Rafeeque said.
The ban had led to traffic congestion in the region around Mananchira as neither the merchants nor the customers were able to take their vehicles into the street. The corporation's proposed parking plaza near S.K.Square in place of the now abandoned Hotel Malabar Mansion of Kerala Tourism Development Corporation, is expected to be solve the issue, but its construction has not yet taken off.
Mayor Thottathil Raveendran said that the corporation or the Mayor could not take the decision regarding lifting of the traffic ban on S.M.Street, as it was decided by a committee consisting of the District Collector, the MP, and MLAs of the region. He said that the issue would be brought before the committee soon.
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