Ensure smooth traffic before demolition

KOCHI:  The Cochin Chamber of Commerce and Industry has urged the authorities concerned to make adequate and effective alternate arrangements to deal with the traffic chaos that is expected once the North Over-Bridge is demolished. The Chamber is of the “strong opinion” that the bridge should be pulled down only after such arrangements are made. The North Over- Bridge, located in the heart of the city, is a vital link used by thousands of vehicles and people every day. The absence of the bridge will cause severe disruption of traffic movement within the city. “We hope that the decision of the corporation will be implemented after the civic and traffic authorities ensure that the new routes proposed by them are made viable”, it said in a press release.The Chamber also urged the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to commence the construction of the Salim Rajan Road - Rajaji Road flyover and the State Government(RBDC) to widen the Thammanam-Pullepady Road before pulling down the North Over-Bridge.While it is true that it would be difficult to estimate the volume of traffic to be re-routed, every effort needs to be made to ensure the smooth flow of traffic.Further, there should be a system to monitor the work to ensure that it is carried out in a time-bound manner with proper accountability. The condition of the new routes proposed by the City Traffic Police is pathetic to say the least. Today, travelling through Cochin is an experience in itself. Our roads are in no condition to take any additional burden, it said. The authorities concerned should ensure proper connectivity for all roads before demolishing the North Over-bridge. The Cochin Chamber also urged them to call a meeting of all the affected parties at the earliest to find a feasible solution. It put forward a suggestion to close the bridge for at least a few hours to check the volume of traffic that will be affected. “The traffic arising out of this closure should be redirected through the routes as proposed in order to observe the effects. This would help in studying and arriving at a proper solution for effective traffic control. Only after this exercise should the corporation give sanction to pull down the North Over-Bridge,” the chamber said.