Title - New overbridge eases city traffic

The commissioning of the A L Jacob Railway Overbridge (ROB) connecting Salim Rajan Road and Rajaji Road has partially helped decongest the city. On Monday, private vehicles, motorists and tankers from Chittoor Road, MG Road, Ammankovil Road, Kadavanthra, Kathrikadavu and Gandhinagar took to the bridge bringing relief to the clogged city.

The over bridge witnessed a good flow of vehicles during morning and evening hours. However, there was a lull in the traffic during afternoon hours and this probably was because the motorists are yet to get acquainted with the  bridge that was commissioned on Sunday.

West City Traffic Assistant Commissioner of Police K S Baby Vinod said   police have been deployed at the entrances of KSRTC Stand, Rajaji Junction and Cross Road Junction to regulate the traffic.

More police officials will be deployed at various roads leading to the bridge, including the Kathrikadavu and Kumaranashan roads, if there is heavy rush.

Police officials said there was a visible decrease in the traffic near the  North and South overbridges as most of the vehicles opted the new overbridge  to reach MG road and Vyttila.  Currently, the distance of travel between MG Road and SA Road have come down by at least one-and-a-half km. Employees working at Supplyco office, Pollution Control Board, Consumer Fed main office and KSINC are also finding it easier. Baby Vinod said more obvious traffic diversions in the city will take place once the construction of the Kochi Metro work Rail Project begins on June 7. “We have sketched out a plan and the routes through which the traffic will be diverted once the civil works begin. Only then will the  overbridge be more useful,” he said.

As per plan, long-distance KSRTC buses will be diverted from the KSRTC stand through the overbridge. Currently, the buses are unnecessarily travelling within the city.

Instead, these buses, which include the Karnataka RTC’s, will also be rerouted through the bridge, which will in turn decongest Chittoor Road and the South RoB area. A meeting of the Regional Transport Authority will be convened soon and bus permits will be issued to these buses.

However, officials added that there are no plans to re-route private buses for the time-being as it will affect the public.