Thiruvananthapuram gearing up for traffic jams this Onam

Thiruvananthapuram: With the district administration sitting on a slew of alternative traffic proposals including the Chalai one-way system, Onam season may see unprecedented traffic jams on East Fort and MG Road. “Since the volume of vehicles entering Chalai from Karamana is lesser, we want traffic from East Fort to Karamana side to be allowed only one way via Chalai road,” a senior traffic official said. This will prevent the need for vehicles to pass via Thampanoor and cause a bottleneck at Thampanoor- Thycaud-Choorakkattupalayam junction, officials said.

“Onam traffic jams are the litmus tests that reflect growing vehicle density on capital roads,” a police officer said. “The footfalls of shoppers who come to Chalai have already risen exponentially as people have begun brisk shopping for the marriage and house warming season.” Meanwhile, the permission to allow parking for shoppers inside Putharikandom maidanam is yet to be granted by the district administration. At present, a Supplyco-organised shopping festival is on here bringing in a record number of shoppers.

Traffic towards Attakulangara also will not be smooth this month as the Road Fund Board’s work to shift Beemapally bus stand into Fort premises is unlikely to materialise before Onam. “Now temporary stalls will come up on the footpath beside the Putharikandaom. So this will mean that there is lesser pedestrian space,” said a Chalai-based trader Deepu DS who wants restrictions on the number of street hawkers. Like in previous years, on the final day of Onam, vehicles will not be allowed to enter the road from Corporation to Vellayambalam in the evening, officials said.