KOCHI: Despite clear signboards put up nearly a month ago announcing the relocation of the bus stop in front of the Town Hall metro station to a waiting shed in front of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) office, confusion persists among the public over actually where to wait for buses.
The bus stop relocation was implemented by the Kochi city police to ease traffic congestion in the area, which continues to witness long queues of vehicles descending the Ernakulam North overbridge from the Marine Drive side and those joining from the SRM Road during rush hours. However, almost all the private buses continue to halt in front of the metro station, as commuters are still seen waiting there. “It was a crucial measure introduced by the police to ease traffic congestion. However, it has failed to deliver the desired results,” said an officer with the City Traffic West police station.
“There is a common tendency for buses and autorickshaws to stop wherever crowds gather to pick up passengers. The same is happening here as well. Passengers too find it convenient to board buses in front of the metro station entrance, without giving any thought to the traffic congestion it causes,” the officer said.
Meanwhile, a traffic police officer deployed at the spot said, “During daytime, especially when uniformed personnel are present, private buses do not stop or pick up passengers at the restricted location. Although signboards have been installed, we repeatedly ask commuters to move to the designated bus stop, but most of them stop after taking just a few steps.
This results in buses halting between the metro station and the RBI gate, which again leads to congestion.”
On the bus stop relocation, Mohamed Nizar, assistant commissioner with City Traffic West, said: “This is not a newly introduced traffic regulation. The designated bus stop has always been in front of the RBI office. Over time, frequent boarding and alighting at the metro station entrance unofficially shifted the stop to that location.”
Currently, a traffic police officer has been deployed to regulate movement in the area. However, once the officer leaves, the same irregular pattern resumes.
“Awareness and cooperation from bus operators and, more importantly, the public are essential to address this issue,” Nizar added.
Meanwhile, commuters waiting in front of the RBI office are also facing difficulties due to the lack of adequate space. The crowd that gathers there often obstructs the entrance and passage to the RBI office, adding to the inconvenience.