Shopping mall craze still stalling traffic

Even while the excitement surrounding Mall of Travancore, said to be city’s first shopping mall, peaked, the unprecedented traffic volume in the area has begun to rankle the local community and the police.

The chaotic situation that unfolded on the road on Sunday appeared to be a sign of things of come. Traffic management along the National Highway-66 bypass stretch from Chakka to Enchakkal has gone for a toss with the city traffic police struggling to streamline vehicles. The ongoing widening of the bypass complicated matters further.

While vehicles enter the mall from the bypass, the exit led to the Chakka-Vallakadavu road, through which a large number of vehicles head towards Chakka to join those waiting ahead of the traffic signal, while coming from the Shangumughom direction.

Under the prevailing circumstances, it took motorists close to 45 minutes to cover the Chakka-Enchakkal stretch, around 2 km long, during the peak hours. The situation has become a cause for concern for many, who frequented the route on a daily basis. Those headed for the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport and the private hospital nearby are also bound to be affected by the problem.

Assistant Commissioner (Traffic-South) M.K. Zulfiqer said while over 3,000 vehicles were estimated to have made a beeline for the shopping mall during the peak hours last Sunday, the situation was similar, if not worse, this Sunday. The parking area within the premises is capable of accommodating 1,000 cars and 1,200 two-wheelers at a given time.

“Many motorists waited in the queue leading to the parking area, thereby contributing to the traffic congestion on the bypass. With most visitors, especially those from faraway places, deciding to drop by the Shangumughom beach before concluding their leisure trip, the area witnessed frequent traffic snarls for most part of the day and peaked being between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m,” the official said.

The temporary measures aimed at lessening the congestion have had little impact on the problem. An additional line of vehicular traffic is being facilitated along the Chakka-Enchakkal stretch by clearing the construction materials that had been dumped on the left side of the road.

Mr. Zulfiqer said the Airport Authority of India (AAI) would be requested to permit entry of vehicles from the shopping mall on the ramp that led to the traffic signal at Chakka. Currently, 25 traffic wardens were being deployed to regulate traffic in the area in two shifts.

Satheesh Kumar, chairman of the town planning standing committee at the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, said the building plan, which envisaged the entry and exit routes, had been prepared in accordance with the Kerala Municipal Building Rules. “While the civic body is mandated with the authority to prevent any possible conversion of the parking space for unspecified purposes, changes in the traffic regulations could be made by the traffic advisory committee, chaired by the Mayor and comprising of traffic officials,” he said.