KOCHI: Eleven residents’ associations representing residents living along the Mamangalam-Pottakuzhi Road have submitted a joint petition to Minister for PWD and Tourism P A Mohamed Riyas, seeking his urgent intervention to resolve the traffic congestion that has clogged the thoroughfare. According to the petition, congestion has become a routine problem on the stretch where only one vehicle can pass through at a time.
“The problem started with the beginning of the construction of the Kochi Metro. With the KMRL and the district administration listing Mamangalam-Pottakuzhy Road as one of the many exits to ease the traffic along the main road to facilitate the construction work, vehicles, both small and big, started coming in,” M Sivanandan, president of the BTS Mamangalam Cross Road Residents Association, told TNIE.
According to him, motorists coming in from the Edappally side make use of this road to skirt the Palarivattom traffic. “This was meant to be a temporary exit for the vehicles plying to and from Edappally during the metro construction. Now, this has become a permanent feature here,” he said.
According to the presidents of the 11 residents’ associations, when there is a traffic block on the road from Kaloor to Edappally, people rely on the Mamangalam-Pottakuzhi Road. “The road has become narrower at three or four places, with posts lying on the road and because of illegal parking. Driving along this road has become very difficult, especially during rush hours,” they said in the petition.
Sivanandan pointed out that the area from Karukappally to Pottakuzhy is densely populated. “There are more than twenty associations in the area, from Mamangalam to Karukappally.
People also rely on this road to go to and from areas like Vypeen and High Court to Edappally, Kalamassery, and Kakkanad. In recent times, new hotels, workshops, and some commercial establishments have also opened on this road. Traffic has increased on this road,” Sivanandan said.
Highlighting these issues, the residents’ associations are demanding that the promise made nearly 25 years ago by the people’s representatives to widen the road be implemented.
The residents’ associations pointed out that steps like removing electric posts and defunct telephone poles can be taken to find an immediate solution to the traffic congestion. “The PWD Minister has told us that once the electric cables are drawn through underground ducts, the poles will be removed,” Sivanandan said.
Another solution, he said, would be to declare these roads as one-way. “In the case of the Mamangalam-Pottakuzhy Road, in many places, it becomes difficult for even one car to pass easily. Illegal parking needs to be prevented,” said the residents’ associations.