KOCHI: The bad state of the road leading to Edappally Toll is causing huge traffic bottlenecks, prompting the Traffic Police officials to close the divider at the junction.
According to the residents, the road’s condition worsened as the monsoon started. “The pothole gets deeper day by day,” says Abhilash Prabhakaran, who runs a car accessories shop at Toll junction.
“The congestion was severe when the divider was open. Now, the vehicles from Edappally side have to take an U-turn at Koonamthai and those from Kalamassery side need to go till Edappally junction, which is a major inconvenience. Despite this, the congestion worsens during peak hours,” he added. The potholes are also causing accidents on the stretch.
According to M K Jacob, the traffic policeman on duty at Toll Junction, the divider was closed to avoid traffic congestion.
“If the divider is accessible, the stretch from Edappally junction to Pathadipalam will be choked. Many commuters, mainly two-wheeler riders, still jump the cordon and take a U-turn at Toll junction, worsening the situation,” he says.
The residents of Edappally are irked by the road’s condition and the bottleneck.
“The road has been in this condition for around three months. Accidents are frequent here. The government collects tax from us for 15 years and it’s supposed to be for the maintenance of roads. Though the tax is being collected, the roads are posing a threat to our lives,” says Vimal
Kumar, a resident.
Edappally ward councillor Radhakrishnan PG promises the work will start soon. “Though temporary filling was carried out at times, the heavy rain washes it away. The fund for the road work has already been passed. As soon as the rains end, the work will commence. We hope to complete it soon,” says Radhakrishnan.