Title - On day one, railway overbridge fails traffic test

KOCHI: First day, first show was not such a huge draw as motorists, especially those who use the congested south overbridge, kept away from the newly-constructed A L Jacob railway overbridge (RoB) in the city.

Traffic was lean on Monday forcing the city police to chalk out a detailed traffic plan for maximum capacity utilization of the new RoB.

According to Kochi range inspector general K Padmakumar, the city police need to devise a traffic regulation scheme wherein the volume of traffic through the south ROB is reduced considerably by utilizing the new one.

"On Monday, the traffic through the new RoB was not up to our expectations. We need to decongest the south RoB by diverting nearly 50% of vehicles, which currently pass through the south ROB to A L Jacob ROB," Padmakumar said.

The IG said the city police would install more sign boards on MG Road, Rajaji Road, Chittoor Road, Kaloor-Kadavanthra Road and SA Road on the optional route available through the A L Jacob ROB.

Traffic west assistant commissioner K S Baby Vinod said that they expect the traffic through the new ROB to pick up in the coming days. "Traffic through the new ROB will pick up only after people become aware of the optional route available for reaching Vytilla and Kadavanthra areas," he said.

According to city traffic police, if vehicles use the new RoB to reach GCDA Junction from Rajaji Road junction on MG road, they can nearly save an additional kilometre compared to the existing route through M G Road.

Above all, vehicles can also avoid signals at Jos Junction, DCC junction and Medical Trust Hospital Junction. Meanwhile, Ernakulam Vikasana Samithi has asked the district administration to allow KSRTC buses to ply through the new ROB as it could help to decongest other main roads in the city.