Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Bad roads worsen traffic snarls in the city

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Monsoon ravaged roads in the city are endangering the safety of road users, particularly two-wheeler riders. Several key stretches in the city are potholed are in need of urgent repairs.

The Nandavanam-Bakery junction stretch, Kaithamukku-East Fort road and the Edapazhanji-Jagathy segment typify the poor state of urban roads.

Bad roads have contributed much to the worsening traffic snarls in the city. Potholed carriageways impede the smooth flow of traffic, causing it to move at a snail pace.

A traffic police officer said that several non-fatal accidents reported last week were caused by potholed roads and monsoon conditions. Most of the accident victims were two-wheeler riders without protective headgear.

Rash and reckless driving by private stage carriage drivers, young motorbike riders and left side overtaking by autorickshaw drivers have also resulted in a significant number of accidents this month.

The irrational positioning of bus stops is also an impediment to the smooth flow of traffic. Several bus stops are positioned near traffic signals causing buses to obstruct traffic flow even at times when the signal is green.

The minimum distance between bus stops in urban areas should be at least 1.5 km, according to the specifications of the Indian Road Congress (IRC). On several congested roads, bus stops are located directly opposite to one another. Buses plying in opposite directions frequently stop at the same time on either side of the road, blocking traffic on the stretch for several minutes.

The IRC guidelines state that bus stops could be positioned opposite to one another only on wide roads divided by medians. Private buses are a cause of worry for city traffic enforcers. An official said private bus drivers stop their vehicles at will, often on the middle of the road, for passengers to enter or alight. Such abrupt stops often caused accidents. Even at designated bus stops, most bus drivers rarely pull into the bus bay.

Traffic police officials allege that their opinion is rarely sought when new bus stops are introduced or existing ones shifted. Such matters are often done without any scientific basis.

At several major junctions, taxi and autorickshaw drivers appropriate considerable part of the carriageway for parking their vehicles.

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