KOCHI: Potholes on the Kaloor-Kadavanthra road are causing significant safety concerns. On Monday morning, the stretch witnessed traffic congestion after a Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation bus broke down upon hitting a pothole on the stretch. Though the mishap took place around 9pm on Sunday, the bus was not removed, which led to the gridlock on Monday morning.
Following the incident, a sit-in was staged by Rajani Mani, councillor of Kaloor South, and Congress workers to press the Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) and relevant authorities to find a solution for the problem of potholes.
A TNIE report on May 31 had highlighted the troubling situation. GCDA officials assured “speedy action”, which was finally confined to sacks of sand and tree stumps to indicate the presence of potholes. “GCDA did not take any action even after being contacted. We decided to hold the protest after repeated calls went unanswered. The traffic congestion caused due to the bus breaking down was the final straw. We filled the potholes using a wet mix, but it is just a temporary solution,” said Rajani.
The protest was called off after GCDA officials said the stretch will be resurfaced by June 24. The GCDA chairman’s office said the work on paving the road will be initiated in the next 10 days.
“There have been no attempts to maintain this stretch. All they have provided are temporary solutions. The potholes lead to a lot of accidents in the area,” said Rijose, the owner of a bakery on the stretch.
(With inputs from Sidharth G Kumar)