THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The traffic signal at the busy Kowdiar Junction has been lying defunct for over two weeks, causing inconvenience to commuters and pedestrians alike. The junction, a key intersection that links the city and suburbs, is used by thousands of vehicles every day. Despite growing complaints and safety concerns, Kerala Road Fund Board (KRFB) and Smart City Thiruvananthapuram Ltd (SCTL) are yet to take steps to repair the signal.
The signal was damaged when a vehicle rammed into it around two weeks back. Since then, traffic authorities, pedestrians and motorists have been having a hard time crossing the junction. Besides vehicles, ambulances use this stretch to carry patients to the Medical College Hospital and other healthcare institutions within the city limits.
A official of the KRFB — the custodian of the road — has blamed SCTL. “It is the responsibility of SCTL to mend the signal,” the official said.
Former managing director of Thiruvananthapuram Road Development Corporation Ltd (TRDCL) — the former concessionaire of the City Road Improvement Project (CRIP) — Anil Kumar Pandala blamed the apathy of authorities for erring signals on CRIP roads.
“We maintained the signals and these roads for 15 years, but such issues never took place because we were very professional in dealing with them. If there is an issue with the signal it used to be fixed immediately,” said Pandala.
According to traffic authorities, ever since SCTL took over maintenance, signals have been encountering problems, especially at Kowdiar. “We have written to authorities asking them to remedy the traffic signal. It’s really hard to manage traffic during peak hours without traffic signals. We have to manage the traffic manually,” the official said.
An SCTL official said the road needs to be cut open to fix the signal. “We are awaiting nod from the KRFB. We will fix it soon,” the official added.