Police have claimed that traffic reforms and regulations have cut down road accidents in the city considerably.
According to official estimates, only two were injured in five accidents that occurred in August at the junctions in Kundannur, Vyttila, Palarivattom and Edappally.
From January to July this year, 10 accidents were reported at Kundannur junction and 12 got injured. Three persons were killed and nearly 36 injured in 34 accidents at Vyttila; 12 injured in 21 accidents at Palarivattom; and three killed and 16 injured in 18 accidents at Vyttila.
Arul R. B. Krishna, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Ernakulam (Law and Order and Traffic), said in a communication that additional police personnel were deputed in major junctions and crowded places during morning and evening and office hours to ensure smooth flow of traffic. Illegal parking was avoided by using recovery vehicles. Traffic ACPs were directed to inform the officials concerned about the poor condition of city roads.
No signals
Traffic signals at Edappally Junction will be switched off from Saturday on an experimental basis to avoid the congestion following the opening of the Edappally flyover.
A decision to ease the traffic in the region was taken at a meeting convened by District Collector K. Mohammed Y. Safirulla here on Friday. The roads leading to the flyover will be opened fully. Vehicles coming from Pookattupadi could take the free turn to Aluva. Vehicles coming from Ernakulam towards Pookattupadi should take a U-turn towards Pookattupadi road.
The Collector said that the reforms would be made permanent, if it turn in to a success. Kochi Metro Rail Limited is working on a proposal to resolve the traffic woes in the region. The project proposals could be implemented in the next four months, he said.
Residents irked
Thripunithura residents are finding the new traffic regulations a little irksome with people being unable to reach the town directly from the Eroor side.
But the traffic police say that there is much better flow of traffic as the problem area for long has been S.N. Junction.
The traffic light at the junction now allows a right turn only to vehicles on the main Kochi Refinery-Petta Road. However, vehicles reaching S.N. Junction from Eroor find it difficult to go towards East Fort Gate or take a right turn to North Fort Gate. Similarly, small vehicles from East Fort coming to S.N. Junction can only turn left.
According to the Thripunithura Traffic Police, the new regulation is to ease the traffic on the main road, but the residents find it rather unscientific. Says V.C. Jayendran, convenor of the Thripunithura Rajanagari Union of Residents Association (TRURA), as the traffic on the Kochi Refinery Road-Petta is heavy and the roads narrow, the vehicles which have to take a U-turn at some point on the road to cut across to the other side have a tough time.
The new traffic regulations had come just before Onam and there had been no consultation with the Traffic Committee under the Thripunithura Municipal Council, says O.V. Salim, vice chairman of the municipality.
