KOCHI: Sreehari, an eyewitness to Ebin Paul’s tragic accident on ‘Civil Line’ Road, is yet to come out of shock. “This is not an isolated incident on the Palarivattom-Kakkanad stretch. The residents, motorists and shop owners along the route have been witnessing such mishaps for a long time,” said Sreehari.
The locals allege the delay in undertaking resurfacing activities on the stretch is because of the proposed Metro project along the route. But, Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) refuted the claim. “The acquisition of land will take some time, for which a decision will only be taken in August 2019. There is no need to delay the work on this. Within a year of construction, these roads are in a dilapidated condition, for which required action should be initiated,” said the KMRL spokesperson.
Most of the patchwork activities at ‘Civil Lines’ happen during daytime causing inconvenience to motorists and pedestrians. “All the dust particles in the atmosphere cause a lot of sicknesses. It would have been ideal if the works were done at night,” said Soghi, a shopkeeper at Allinchuvadu. Shyam, a regular commuter on the stretch, said though repair works are going on, metal and pebbles are laid uneven, causing two-wheelers to skid off the road.