5 days ago
2
The mediocre upkeep of the 16-km-long Edappally-Aroor NH 66 bypass and the consequent worsening of postulation snarls and accidents connected the corridor person led motorists and others to request that the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), which collects hefty tolls from motorists utilizing Kerala’s busiest National Highway corridor, unrecorded up to expectations.
Moreover, motorists and pedestrians person a gruelling clip utilizing the constrictive work roads, arsenic the tarred aboveground has fixed mode successful galore places, creating a steep tallness quality with the earthen shoulder. Motorists, autobus operators and others person been crying foul implicit postulation snarls astatine junctions starring to broadside roads, blaming ‘unscientific planning’ and the grossly inadequate width of the work roads.
“The worst portion is the unscientific determination of autobus stops, chiefly astatine the galore points wherever vehicles from broadside roads participate the NH bypass. An apt illustration is the autobus halt located close astatine the accident-prone U-turn successful beforehand of Ernakulam Medical Centre Hospital successful Palarivattom. It causes postulation snarls connected some sides of the bypass whenever a autobus halts there,” said a autobus relation whose fleet operates done the stretch
Expressing dismay implicit potholes processing adjacent connected the main carriageway of the NH bypass, T.N. Sajeev, Vennala determination president of the Ernakulam District Residents Associations’ Apex Council (EDRAAC), said the NHAI often fails to repair oregon resurface potholes connected some the main carriageway and the work roads. Perennial flooding during the monsoon is different problem, caused by clogged and inadequate drains arsenic good arsenic rampant encroachments by businesses.
“The NHAI indispensable put astatine slightest fractional the toll gross it collects successful the upkeep of roads and allied infrastructure on the stretch. The Central and State governments indispensable besides measurement in, since the Edappally-Aroor NH bypass volition stay the lone corridor connected the Thiruvananthapuram-Kasaragod NH 66 that has not been widened,” helium said.
Steps indispensable besides beryllium taken to decongest the Edappally, Palarivattom, Vyttila and Kundannoor junctions on the agelong and to guarantee level roads. Inadequate oregon non-existent thoroughfare lighting is different origin contributing to the rising fig of accidents connected the corridor, which is flanked by commercialized establishments and densely populated residential areas connected either side, helium added.
“It is simply a enigma wherefore the NHAI has not carved retired dedicated lanes wrong the wide medians astatine U-turns,” said Nisar Karukapadath, who owns a aesculapian store astatine Chakkaraparambu connected the NH bypass, wherever implicit a twelve radical person died successful accidents implicit the past 2 decades.
“Such a dedicated lane wrong the median tin accommodate astatine slightest fractional a twelve cars that would different person to halt connected the NH carriageway astatine each U-turn portion waiting to transverse to the different side. The NHAI indispensable besides reactivate blinkers astatine U-turns and trim the tallness of shrubs planted connected medians adjacent them to forestall the instauration of unsighted spots that obstruct visibility,” helium added.
Mr. Nisar besides highlighted the urgent request for ft overbridges successful pedestrian-dense areas to forestall accidents involving pedestrians.
While stating that instructions would beryllium issued to the steadfast entrusted with the upkeep of the NH bypass, NHAI sources maintained that the Public Works section (PWD) and the Kerala Road Fund Board (KRFB) ought to support the Palarivattom, Vyttila and Kundannoor flyovers, arsenic good arsenic the junctions beneath them. Likewise, they said, the Kochi Corporation ought to guarantee capable thoroughfare lighting on the corridor.
