Chaos reign on arterial roads

KOCHI: Sahodaran Ayyappan (SA) Road serves as a gateway to the city from Vyttila Junction. The entrance and exit points of the road at Vyttila gives a clear indication of what lies ahead for motorists.
While the entry point is just rugged, the exit area is filled with potholes filled with rainwater. Only experienced or seasoned drivers can navigate this stretch without causing damages to vehicles.“When large vehicles and buses tend to avoid the puddles, it puts smaller vehicles and pedestrians at risk. Nobody blames fellow motorists or commuters. It reflects the indifferent attitude of city authorities,” said Manjula H, a resident on SA Road.
On finding the pathetic condition of SA Road, motorists are tempted to take the Paradise Road to enter Subash Chandra Bose Road and proceed to Kaloor-Kadvanthra Road. However, the Subash Chandra Bose, which was dug of for laying pipelines has not been restored. On entering Subash Chandra Bose Road, one realises the folly of this action. The entire road remains uneven and offers a bumpy ride.
The Kaloor-Kadvanthra (KK) Road which is one of the arterial roads in the city wears a wretched look. The large potholes on between Kadvanthra Junction and Kumaranasan Junction on the stretch is a threat to motorists.
Motorists heading to MG Road often take Gandhi Nagar Road or Salim Rajan Road from KK Road. Though the stretch of Salim Rajan Road near AL Jacob Flyover appears in news every monsoon, there has been no concrete measure to address this issue. Apart from private vehicles, buses leaving KSRTC bus station towards Vyttila and Edappally regions also take this route.
“It remains unknown why PWD, Kochi corporation and GCDA have to relay roads every year. Why is it that the taxpayers must meet the relaying expenses on a yearly basis? While roads in regions like Kottayam and Pathanamthitta survive remain durable, the roads in a city like Kochi fail to survive a single monsoon,” said Renny Paul, a vehicle dealer.