KOZHIKODE: Increased inflow of vehicles from the suburbs to the city is holding up traffic on arterial roads in the district for several hours.
Despite the police diverting long distance buses to Kannur side through Beach Road and to Thrissur side through NH Bypass, Kannur Road, Mini Bypass and Kallai Road get clogged.
The worst affected is the Kannur Road, where vehicles are held up from as far as Pookkad near Koyilandy.
Police say the people from suburbs are coming to the city, mostly on four wheelers to shop in the city malls, and there has been a phenomenal increase in vehicle inflow.
City police had requested motorists to avoid the individual use of cars if there are not more than one passenger.
However, they could not implement this forcefully as it would be considered the violation of one’s travel rights.
“There is a huge rush. My traffic officials have been told to do their best to regulate the traffic to avoid major holdups. The city roads are too narrow to handle this kind of traffic, and we are doing our best,” city police commissioner P.A. Valsan told DC.
Motorists also complain that the diversion brought in by the police only add to the confusion on the Kannur Road. When a vehicle enters Kannur Road from Beach Road, traffic is held up.
Long distance buses try to muscle their way and often take the wrong side of the road, making the situation worse.
“What police should do is to control the reckless driving by the long distance buses, especially on Kannur Road. They do not bother about the smaller vehicles coming in the right lane and continue overtaking spree on the right side,” a Vengali resident, Venugopal M., said.
“We see this happening even when a long queue of vehicles waiting on the left side due to the block. Buses enter through the right side and hold up all traffic moving in the opposite direction.”
