The sharp curve with a dangerous gradient at Vattappara near Valanchery in the district continues to be one of the most notorious accident spots on the National Highway 66 in the State.
Despite many efforts by the police, civil and road transport authorities to widen the road and manage traffic here by aggressively
installing warning signals, a luxury tourist bus failed to negotiate the curve and fell into a depth of a few metres, injuring 23 persons on Monday morning.
The accident took place early in the morning when the Sulthan Bathery-bound bus careened off the road and overturned before falling into the nearby field.
The bus was coming from Thiruvananthapuram, the police said.
The police rushed the injured to hospitals at Valanchery and Kottakkal.
Each time an accident took place at Vattappara, there was the demand for an early completion of the Moodal-Kanjippura bypass road. This time too the demand was raised by the local people, blaming the authorities for the delay in acquiring the land needed for completion of the bypass.
Official figures show that at least three dozen accidents of varying nature take place at Vattappara every year. Only those involving heavy and public transport vehicles or with multiple casualties usually are reported in the mass media.
₹23 crore needed
Revenue officials indicated that at least ₹23 crore would be needed to acquire the land for widening the existing road.
According to Abid Husain Thangal, MLA, the land owners have agreed to cooperate with the project.
The proposed road from Moodal to Kanjippura will not only bypass the Vattappara curve but also obviate the need for the vehicles to go through the busy Valanchery junction.
Although the bypass at Moodal was proposed seven years ago, the project remains a dream for the people of Valanchery.
