Kochi: A week after collecting suggestions from various stakeholders, the Kochi City Police has started making traffic reforms, starting with changes at five major points in the city. “The focus is on optimal use of key arterial roads in the city to decongest main junctions. We’ve redesigned traffic flow pattern at five major points – Palarivattom NH Junction, High Court, near South and North overbridges and AL Jacob flyover,” said deputy police commissioner Arul B. Krishna.
Vehicles bound for Kakkanad from the city and vice versa are no longer allowed to cross the Palarivattom signal junction. They have to take a left turn and then a U-Turn before the Oberon Mall. Similarly vehicles coming from the opposite direction to the city have to take a left turn and then a U-turn in front of the Ernakulam Medical Centre.
In the High Court junction, motorists proceeding from Menaka towards Bolghatty no longer have to wait for the signal. Motorists descending the South overbridge at Valanjamablam will no longer be allowed to take immediate left towards towards railway station but have to proceed straight and take the U-turn in front of Medical Trust Hospital. They will not be allowed to take the right at the end of the bridge either to take the road to south railway station.
Motorists descending the North Overbridge are not allowed to take the right turn in front of Town Hall or take the sharp left but will have to take the U-turn a little farther. Similarly vehicles no longer can take a sharp left turn at the end of the AL Jacob flyover near KSRTC bus stand after it was found they hold up the traffic along the flyover.
Also Bharatiyar Road in the vicinity has been made part of the scheme to ease the traffic on Rajaji road. “The new regulation, especially at the High Court and Palarivattom, has eased the traffic movement. Further changes will be effected in the coming days and we’re studying about the requirements,” the officer said.
