Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Relocation of lorry terminal hanging fire

Staff Reporter

Authorities fail to identify land

Thiruvananthapuram: The fate of the city's only lorry terminal at Vaniyankulam on the Power House road remains uncertain as the Government dithers on a proposal to relocate the facility. After years of wasted effort, the Thiruvananthapuram Development Authority and the City Corporation are still groping in the dark to identify an alternate site for the terminal.

The relocation of the terminal has assumed importance in the light of the proposed widening of the Choorakkattupalayam-Power House road under the ongoing City Roads Improvement Scheme. The widening project will deprive the existing terminal of a major portion of its premises fronting the road.

In the 2003 budget, the city corporation had proposed the relocation of the terminal to Vallakadavu. The same project was repeated in the 2004 budget proposals but nothing materialised.

The existing terminal is marked by dilapidated sheds and poor facilities. There is no security and parking is at the driver's risk. There are no changing rooms, lodging houses or toilets for the drivers. It is located in one of the most congested parts of the city, forcing lorries to negotiate bumper-to-bumper traffic for hours to reach the Chalai market. In the absence of service and maintenance facilities, lorry operators have to depend on workshops elsewhere.

The National Transportation Planning and Research Centre had proposed a new lorry terminal designed as a transhipment centre where goods arriving in heavy lorries are offloaded and transported to the city markets in mini-lorries.

Modern facilities

The project mooted modern facilities, including a fuel station, rest rooms, shops, warehouses and transhipment equipment such as forklift trucks.

Civic officials said the project had run into stiff opposition from traders who felt that they would be forced to bear the transhipment costs.

Deputy Mayor V. Jayaprakash said the proposal for a new lorry terminal had been included in the Capital Region Development Programme. He said it would be implemented with funds from the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission. Mr. Jayaprakash, however, admitted that the project was unlikely to take off this year.

A large number of lorries transporting goods to the city from neighbouring States are forced to use public places for parking. The service road skirting the Eenchakal-Chacka National Highway bypass has emerged as a favoured parking ground for cargo vehicles.

Trucks are parked all along the stretch, occupying a major portion of the road width. Minor repairs to the lorries are also carried out under the huge avenue trees, leaving oil slicks and grease on the road surface.

City residents who prefer the road for an early morning walk or to practise roller-skating have raised objections to the diversion of road space for parking trucks. They feel that the large number of cargo vehicles plying the city justifies the need for a well-equipped lorry terminal. About 6,000 cargo vehicles ply the city roads daily, bringing in more than 4,500 tonnes and taking out 1,300 tonnes.

Almost 35 per cent of the incoming lorries carry construction material, with the rest bringing essential items, provisions and grocery from the neighbouring States. A sizeable number of lorries service the 30-odd parcel services operating in the city.

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