Kerala - Kochi   

Traders demand underground metro section through MG Road

KOCHI: The elevated light-metro rail that has been proposed for Kochi should be taken underground as it passes through the MG Road, the Kerala Chamber of Commerce and Industry has demanded.

The demand comes in the wake of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, the implementing agency for the project, informing the State Government of its inability to re-route the alignment through Shanmugham Road. Constructing underground rails would incur three times the cost of laying elevated rails along the 2.5-km-long alignment that passes through MG Road, since concerns like flooding would have to be addressed.

The Chamber president E S Jose said that his organisation was not against the project. “Our fears have not been alleviated. Thousands of people would have additionally benefited from this system of mass-rapid transport, had the alignment been through Shanmugham Road that passes parallel to MG Road. Shops along MG Road would run out of business during the project’s construction phase.”

He said that extending the rails up to Kakkanad would benefit the employees and family members of numerous IT firms coming up at Smart City. “Work on the rails would bring traffic into a standstill in the city since eight-feet-wide space would be required for the pillars alone and this will necessitate barricading the centre of the road. Shops along MG Road will down shutters from Tuesday afternoon, to protest against the DMRC’s attitude. Soon after, an eight-feet-wide dummy pillar will be placed on the road, to show how much traffic will be affected when work on the project is on,” Mr Jose said. He added that Kochi will be able to tide over traffic congestion if more overbridges, flyovers and roads are built, for less than a fourth of the cost estimated for the metro-rail.

Thousands of people visiting the High Court, residents of the Goshree islands, boat passengers, shoppers going to Broadway and Menaka, families which throng Marine Drive, Children’s Park and Subhash Park during evenings and students would benefit from the system if the rails are extended to at least the open space near the KTDC reception centre at Menaka, where there is ample space to locate a station. There is open space also on the Marine Drive grounds.

The general secretary of the Ernakulam Merchants’ Union, K M Mohammed Sageer said that top priority must be given to public interest. “It is not just merchants along MG Road who would be ‘affected’. Those along Banerjee Road, especially shops from the Ernakulam North overbridge to Madhava Pharmacy Junction too will be hit. The DMRC must educate the public and convince all stakeholders of the benefits of the project,” he said.

Sources in the DMRC said that pollution, traffic snarls and accidents reduced in New Delhi ever since the metro-rail system began functioning.

“Till a few years ago, the city was the fourth most polluted one in the world. It also provided people with a reliable and comfortable mode of public transport, saving precious time and reducing the risk and strain of driving through chaotic roads.”

He termed as baseless the opposition to locating stations near shops. “In fact, shops located near metro-stations benefit from the increased visibility,” he said.

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