Kochi: KOCHI: (ASSOCHAM) revealed that Kerala’s transport policy needed reorientation. “Roads in the State are under excessive pressure, with traffic growing at a rate of about 10-11 per cent annually.
“Moreover, the distribution of traffic is highly skewed, and the concentration of traffic on urban and city roads leaves villages and remote areas virtually unconnected,” indicated the study. “Kerala’s transport policy requires reorientation. It is important to visualise the transport system as an integrated structure of different services operating as distinct entities in a level-playing field, with an element of inter-modal and intra-modal competition, thereby ensuring organisational efficiency and individual viability,” showed the study titled ‘Road-tech: Sustainable Roads and Highways’.
The transport infrastructure of Kerala consists of over 3.3 lakh km of road. The road density in the State is 852 km per 100 sqkm, which is much higher than the national average of 387 km/100 sqkm. “While the ‘length of road for one lakh of population’ is 991 km, the extent of roads maintained by panchayats increased by 49 per cent in 2013-14.
The focus should shift to technological upgrading and modernisation from mere infrastructure development, in order to ensure both mobility and accessibility,” recommended the study. “There is a need to plan and develop transport infrastructure scientifically with a long-term perspective, considering the economic transition of Kerala and the status of knowledge economy,” pointed out the study.