KOCHI: Finally, the City Traffic Police have managed to rein in the arrogant behaviour of private bus operators to some extend, by removing an unofficial bus stop on the eastern side of Ernakulam North railway over-bridge.
The police also erected a sign board directing commuters to use the original bus stop, a few yards away from where the illegal bus stop was situated. Though there is an official bus stop in front of the Reserve Bank of India, most of the private bus operators used to pick passengers from the unofficial stop, often disrupting traffic and creating confusion among commuters. Interestingly, the police action came after ‘Express’ published a report titled ‘Bus Stop! What’s That? We’ll Stop Where We Like’ on April 14, and another one titled ‘No Check on Unofficial Bus Stops’ on November 30, 2015. “We received many complaints from local residents. Accordingly, we deputed a police officer at the bus stop and put up a notice for the public. The area is accident-prone, and we have taken steps to streamline traffic on the stretch,” said Traffic Assistant Commissioner Sajan Koickal.
The practice of private bus operators picking passengers from the illegal bus stop had been causing huge traffic blocks on Banerji Road. The traffic snarls at peak hours often disrupted movement of ambulances to various hospitals in the area. “After removal of the illegal bus stop, traffic congestion on the railway over-bridge declined sharply, and it made it easier for motorist to enter Banerji Road. Though we had complained to the police and traffic warden about the issue, initially, they did not respond. It is good that they acted at least now,” said a trader operating in the area.