KOCHI: Barely two km apart and thrown open to traffic within just 30 days of one another, the flyovers at Edappally and Palarivattom cannot be any farther in terms of sheer quality and workmanship.
While the former was built by peerless Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), the latter was the work of state government-run Road and Bridges Development Corporation of Kerala Ltd (RBDCK). While the Edappally flyover facilitates seamless travel, its counterpart at Palarivattom is the motorists’ equivalent of the obstacle course -- littered with potholes and an uneven surface which ensures the drivers have to defy gravity. Ironically, all this while a nonchalant RBDCK keeps patting itself on the back as the state’s self-professed builder of quality infrastructure!
The 750-metre long flyover, one of the longest of its kind in the state, was constructed spending nearly Rs 39 crore to ease the traffic congestion at the busy Pipeline junction along the National Highway stretch. However, it became a matter of shame with the whole stretch developing potholes in no time, posing a threat to the pedestrians and motorists.
“Commuting through the stretch is like betting our life. Though the speed limit is 80 km per hour, commuters especially bikers, speed through the stretch. But, they don’t even get time to apply breaks when they spot the potholes. It is heer luck that no life has lost here,” said Anila, a government employee who is a regular commuter through the road.
The sad state of the road also raises eyebrows on RBDCK’s tall claims that sufficient amount of mastic asphalt was used so that the tarred surface binds properly to the concrete surface.“The Edappally and the Palarivattom flyovers were thrown open to the public around the same time. But, Palarivattom flyover is an example of how a road should not look like. Driving through the road is a tough task, owing to the potholes and traffic jams,” said Manoj G, a Palarivattom resident.
However, the RBDCK officials said that huge vehicular traffic and incessant rain resulted in potholes.
Though they say the uneven surface was responsible for the damage, the officials are mum when asked about the quality of work they have undertaken. “ We have already directed the contractor to repair the entire stretch as the defect liability period is set to expire. Since there is a government restriction for tarring, the contractor is waiting for the rain to stop. We hope to start the maintenance work in a week, “said Lisi, K F, additional general manager, RBDCK.
Windfall for Metro
The traffic blocks and potholed road have turned a blessing for Kochi Metro Rail. As per the information sourced from the KMRL, the number of riders in Metro has considerably increased over the last one month after commuters switched to this mode of transport. As per the data, the average ridership in the Metro was around 30,000 a day, but the figure has touched 40,000 for the last few weeks. “This growth in ridership is mainly due to rains, which force the commuters to leave their vehicle at home,” said an official spokesperson with KMRL.
People switching to public transport
Negotiating the dilapidated city roads also means increased fuel consumption. Long hours in traffic bottlenecks and the extra effort to negotiate potholes hit the vehicle’s fuel efficiency, thereby burning a hole in customer’s pockets. However, the mess has also forced several people to quit using their vehicle and switch to public transport, causing a jolt to the fuel companies. According to an officer with the BPCL, the sales growth during the month of July has slumped. “Last month, we registered 13 per cent growth in petrol sale and 5 per cent in diesel. But, this month it is just 3.8 per cent. While incessant rain and subsequent waterlogging is one reason, the pathetic condition of the roads also force the people to quit using their vehicle,” he added.
The polluted city
The traffic snarl-ups which has Kochi in a vice grip is revving up another problem, that of pollution. According to a study conducted by the SCMS students in association with Indian Medical Association (IMA) recently, it was found that noise levels at many places in the city were way beyond the permissible limits. The study found the indiscriminate honking is the prime reason for the spike in decibel levels in the city. It was found that people use horns the most while stuck in traffic blocks. “The aim apparently is to get the person ahead of you to move. But, people don’t realise that no matter how much you blare your horns, the helpless person in the front can’t move because they too are the victims of the block,” said a traffic police officer. Besides, contributing to noise pollution, traffic bottlenecks also cause air pollution.
Broken roads, broken vehicles
Those braving to take out their four-wheelers through Kochi roads soon find out their vehicles are in dire need of repair, with potholes wrecking havoc on suspensions and car parts, especially axles, wheels and tyres. According to a car workshop worker, the cost of repairing the damage caused to suspension, axles and wheels would come to around Rs 10,000 to 25,000. “If the car owner can’t or don’t want to shell out such a huge money, the only option available is to not to use the vehicle. The amount for replacing the damaged item is quite high and this gets higher for sedans,” he said, adding that the number of vehicles coming in for repair has increased.