Traffic police not for bus bay

The Traffic police have opposed the construction of a bus bay at the Malaparamba junction, saying it will create roadblocks on National Highway 212.

“We have given a letter to the Kozhikode Corporation and the Public Works Department not to construct the bus bay. If required, a bus shelter may be constructed on the ADM Bungalow premises and that, too, only after widening the road,” K.P. Abdul Razak, Assistant Commissioner of Police (Traffic), Kozhikode city, said.

As of now, the bus bay is being constructed on a five-cent land in the possession of the Kozhikode Corporation that was earlier a fish market. The land is on the side of a narrow stretch of road, a little away from the Malaparamba traffic signal.

“The department has given approval only for widening the area and tarring of the road,” he said. Kozhikode tasildhar (land acquisition) N. Ramla, who is involved in the acquisition of land for widening the Mananchira-Vellimadukunnu road, said the Road Fund Board had been tasked with the construction activities for the National Highway.

Malaparamba Junction

These were done in connection with the improvement of the Malaparamba junction, she said.

Circle Inspector (Traffic) C. Sivaprasad said the situation at the junction would be graver than the traffic congestion now experienced at the bus bay at the Karaparamba junction.

Besides, this junction was an intersection of National Highway 212 and 17. “The blame then will be on the police for the traffic snarls,” he said.

District Collector N. Prasanth said the Revenue Department had begun the process of widening the road after evicting the shopkeepers at the Malaparamba junction. This was done with the amount of Rs.25 crore it received from the State government.

The stretch from IQRAA Hospital-ADM Bungalow had been identified for widening in the first phase, as it remained a bottleneck even during non-peak hours, Mr. Prasanth said.