THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Traffic congestion in Kattakada is a never-ending menace. It takes hours to cross the 1.1-kilometre stretch from Kaithakonam, where the market is situated, to Kattakada Junction on the Kattakada -Vellarada Road. Navigating the stretch on working days is a herculean effort and the Onam rush has only added to the woes.
“Especially on market days like Monday and Thursday, the rush is huge. There are more than 10 schools and colleges in the town. There are also vehicles coming from the neighbouring state. However, the road has not been widened. To make matters worse, there are roadside vendors and unauthorised parking,” said Lakshmi R, a textile shop owner who travels to Kattakada every day.
The stretch from Kattakada to Choondupalaka is also equally congested. There are cops on the road trying to manage the situation. However, it is painfully obvious that their number is inadequate to handle the congestion. The local body had come up with a new traffic policy. But, its effectiveness is doubtful.
“We have asked goods vehicles to use College Road so that other vehicles can pass through the main road without difficulty. However, its effectiveness is a different matter as all the traders need their goods to be delivered at their doorstep and customers also need to do the shopping after parking their vehicles in the vicinity,” said Ajitha S, Kattakada panchayat president.
The road-widening project, if it takes off, will help reduce traffic issues. However, land acquisition is a major hurdle for that.