Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Transport scheme to decongest city

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Rs.36.3-crore sustainable urban transport project approved by the City Corporation Council on Friday seeks to modernise the Chala commercial area and relieve traffic congestion in the downtown areas of the city.

The project funded by the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission involves converting the market road from Killipalam to the Gandhi Park into a pedestrian zone during daytime.

Titled ‘Cleaner Mobility in Urban Areas,’ it seeks to promote sustainable, non-polluting modes of mass transport and provide quality facilities for pedestrians on select routes.

The project includes the construction of subways at Aryasala and East Fort and an elevated walkway connecting the central bus station at Thampanoor to the Chala market.

The market corridor is proposed to be paved with interlocking blocks strong enough for vehicular traffic to facilitate loading and unloading of goods after 10 p.m. and to ensure the movement of fire tenders in case of accidents. The 1.5-km-long walkway will have footpaths on either side equipped with modern seating arrangements for pedestrians. The market road will be landscaped.

A parking bay capable of accommodating more than 1,500 two-wheelers, 3,000 cars and 63 trucks will be set up on land belonging to the Thiruvananthapuram Development Authority. It will have toilets, eateries and a trolley collection centre for shoppers to transport their goods to the parking lot. Twenty-five shops will be constructed on the parking lot.

Under the proposal, the subways will be closed at night. They will carry advertisements for revenue generation.

The elevated walkway linking the Thampanoor bus stand and railway station with the Chala market will be designed as a vital link in the downtown pedestrian corridor network.

The revenue generated from advertisements on the subways, footpaths and over-bridges, parking fees and shop rentals will be used by the Corporation for operation and maintenance of the facilities envisaged in the scheme.

A highly placed official said the project would be a boon to the capital city that was groaning under a crumbling infrastructure.

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