Pathetic roads remain pitiably same in Kochi

Kochi: The hue and cry over the pathetic state of roads along the Edapally-Aroor NH 47 bypass has had little impact on the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) as the toll collection at Kumbalam toll plaza has resumed with little action taken by the national authority.

Though a report submitted by NHAI claims to have finished 87 per cent of the repair works, a ride through the 17-km stretch would reveal the extreme difficulties faced by thousands of commuters daily.

“Iron rods stick out dangerously from the old Aroor-Kumabalam and Tykoodam bridges, not to mention the RoB just after the Vytilla Junction. All that they did was to lay interlocking tiles at Kundanoor and Vytilla junctions. The job is only half done as one side is full of potholes,” said Joy George, a private bus driver.

The only solace is the effective traffic diversion plan employed by the Traffic Police. Besides increasing the signal timing for vehicles plying along the main stretch, vehicles coming from Maradu and proceeding towards Vytilla are diverted to the Hotel Crowne Plaza side, instead of directly cutting the signal.

With the various agencies not ready to repair the stretch, people have taken the task into their hands. The activists of an outfit filled the potholes to make the Palarivattom and Vytilla part motorable.
Earlier, the District Collector had withdrawn his order stopping the toll collection following a report by the NHAI General Manager of the “heavy loss” suffered by the national agency.