Civic body ‘rides on’ Kochi Metro Rail Limited roads

KOCHI: Despite the civic body’s tall claims on spending an average of '30 crore per year for the road development works, the city is yet to have a network of good roads.

However, the entry of Kochi Metro Rail Limited into the city’s transport sector has changed the situation  for the better. When the major roads in the city had been barricaded for Metro works, the alternative roads developed by the KMRL helped the commuters to enter and exit the city with ease.

The KMRL has developed 44 roads in two phases apart from widening  the  Banerjee Road and constructing  two rail overbridges.  In the first phase,  Rs 198 crore was spent for preparatory works and  in the second phase, Rs 35 crore  for developing 22 roads.

During the last five years, the UDF-led corporation could upgrade only fewer  than 15 roads using  BM & BC standards.

“Though the civic body has been spending an average of Rs 30 crore for road development every year, the roads fail to last long due to the poor quality of work. The delay in clearing the bill dues of contractors and changing rain pattern also affect the quality of road works,” said a corporation contractor.

In the latest budget, the city corporation has earmarked Rs 35 crore for the widening and modernisation of roads with an additional allocation of Rs 4.5 crore for the 40-feet road at Palluruthy and Rs 1.6 crore for  Poyisha Road at Edappally.

According to transport experts, the local body’s specification of 40 mm chipping carpet for road works has to be upgraded and all roads must be raised to BM&BC standards.

Meanwhile, the major recommendations of the road conclave, organised by the civic body in 2011,  are yet to be implemented.  The construction of designer roads, introducing a road annuity scheme and white topping of tarred roads were the main suggestions.