The week-long traffic reforms introduced on an experimental basis at Vyttila on Sunday went on as planned, according to the traffic police.
The number of vehicles on the road was lesser than normal since it was Sunday, and with people staying indoors due to the high test positivity rate for COVID-19.
“Our prime aim was to lessen the need for vehicles to criss-cross each other beneath the Vyttila flyover and to overcome the chaos caused by vehicles coming in four lanes from Palarivattom and Ponnurunni (through the Vyttila railway bridge underpass) having to jostle for space on the Thripunithura side of the flyover. This was largely achieved on Sunday when the reforms were introduced. We will closely monitor the situation on Monday and the other days of the week as well,” said City Traffic Police (East) ACP Francis Shelby, based on the feedback received till Sunday evening.
The reforms were introduced after several measures were tried out during the past months. They included the rerouting of vehicles from Kaniyampuzha Road through Vyttila Mobility Hub, carried out in 2021. It turned out to be unsuccessful as the hub does not have a wide road and its exit on the Vyttila-Thripunithura Road is narrow. Another effort was made to redirect vehicles from the Thripunithura side through the road near the Vyttila KSEB powerhouse, to lessen congestion at Vyttila Junction. It turned out that the diversion too would cause congestion and safety issues at the point where the road met NH Bypass, said sources. The new reforms were introduced as a way out of such problems. The aim was to ensure that motorists had to wait for just one signal change, if needed, said the sources.
“One needs to wait and see how the traffic reforms will help decongest the junction,” said Nelson Mathew, a private bus operator. “As of now, this appears to be a way to lessen chaos at the junction after the commissioning of the flyover. I hope this will help ease congestion, like at the Palarivattom bypass junction,” he added.
