KOCHI: The meeting of representatives of residents associations’ apex council, police, RTA, Revenue and PWD officials convened by the District Collector to find ways to resolve issues related to traffic blocks at Vyttila owing to the construction of the flyover there on Sunday decided to make maximum use of the service and parallel roads to unlock the traffic bottleneck. It was decided to demolish the traffic island at the Vyttila junction fully and tar the portion adjacent to it. The tarring will be over by Tuesday. Parking will be strictly banned on parallel roads and byroads and those who violate it will be sternly dealt with.
It was also decided to mark zebra lines after identifying special areas for the purpose at the junction for enabling pedestrians to cross the junction. Deputy and assistant police commissioners will be in charge of this. Signals will be strongly enforced for which more police personnel will be deployed. The Collector has asked a committee comprising police and RTA officials and people’s representatives to give suggestions in three days on diverting traffic through parallel roads and byroads avoiding Vyttila junction, incorporating local people’s opinion. Assistant police commissioners have been asked to decide which all roads should be used for diverting traffic and which ones should be used as one way roads.
The Collector also asked to submit a report within five days on identifying roads where repair works have to be undertaken for diverting traffic. He also said that the option of enabling pick up and drop facility for multi-axle vehicles proceeding to places like Bangalore and Chennai in Vyttila Mobility Hub will be actively considered so as to avoid congestion due to such exercises near the Vyttila junction and also due to the parking of vehicles of people who come to board these vehicles. Parking for such buses at the Hub also will be considered.
It will alleviate issues faced by people who wait for such buses on wayside late in the night. The RTA will submit a report in two days on considering the place near Gold Souk also for the purpose. Sign boards also will be installed at necessary places to enable those coming from distant places to enter the city avoiding Vyttila junction. The meeting also decided to try to merge the main road with the service road and allow two way traffic. However the drainage from Kundannoor to Vyttila between the main road and service road has been found a major hurdle. The meeting decided to explore ways to resolve this issue in tandem with NHAI.
