KOCHI: Nine months have passed since the project to build a Rail Over Bridge at Vaduthala was proposed. But nothing has happened since then and the amount of Rs 35 crore, which had been allocated for the project in the 2016 state budget, remains unutilised. The authorities are yet to even begin the initial procedures needed for the implementation of the project.
Traffic snarls are a common thing here. But the completion of Pachalam over bridge has further increased Vaduthala’s woes. Vehicles have to wait for hours to cross the railway gate. In the morning, especially before noon, the train traffic too is high on this route.
And with the railway gate at the level crossing being closed at an interval of seven minutes, traffic congestion increases on the Vaduthala-Chitoor route. But all this mess can be sorted out if an overbridge is built here.
“The government is not at all bothered with the difficulties being faced by the public. It is not paying heed to the public’s demands. Though we approached the top officials and appraised them about the situation they have not taken any steps to solve it. Government’s announcement was just a political gimmick,” said K G Panicker, chairman of the Action Council.
He added that government’s plan to renovate the Old Railway Station will only increase the volume of traffic congestion in Vaduthala-Chitoor area. But a top official with DMRC said that the agency has no plans to take up any projects in the city. “At present DMRC has no plans to take up any other project in the city and we will not entertain any such requests,” the official said.