KOCHI: The Greater Cochin Development Watch (GCDW), an advocacy group engaged in the promotion of sustainable development of development projects, has launched a mass petition campaign for the expansion of Chittoor-Cheranelloor Road into a double lane to reduce the traffic snarls in the area. A meeting was held at Kuttysahib Road Jn on Friday as part of the first phase of the campaign. According to GCDW president Felix Pulludan, the expansion of the road has become necessary following the influx of traffic from Paravur and Kodungallur side coming to Ernakulam city.
“A part of the traffic is currently using the Container Road. But, the National Highway Authority of India is all set to assign the road for container trucks only by imposing a steep toll for other vehicles. This would result in a sharp increase in traffic on Chittoor-Cheranelloor Road”, Pulludan said. The expansion of the road into a two-lane and completion of the first phase of the Ring Road linking Marine Drive to Varapuzha are the only solutions for the traffic congestion in the area, the meeting pointed out.
Traffic congestion at Chittoor Post Office, petrol pump, Vaduthala bridge bus stop, Vaduthala Railway gate, Poopparathy, Pachalam market and Kasaba police station was a daily occurrence, a release issued by the GCDW said. A decision was taken to submit a mass petition by the people residing in Cheranelloor and Kadamakudy panchayats in view of the decision by the state government to spend '50,000 cr for road and infrastructure development, GCDW said.
