Unkempt traffic islands an eyesore to Thiruvananthapuram dwellers

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Most of the traffic islands in the capital cut a sorry figure after the Thiruvananthapuram Road Development Company Ltd (TRDCL), the concessionaire of Kerala Road Fund Board, will soon be handing over the freehold following its 15-year contract coming to 
an end. 

More than a dozen traffic islands in the heart of the capital,  including Kowdiar and Vellayambalam, which used to have excellent landscapes, flowering plants and fruit trees have since been invaded by weeds. TRDCL was entrusted with the development and maintenance of 42-km road under Thiruvananthapuram City Road Improvement Programme (CRIP) in 2007.

The irony is that just when the capital city is witnessing a flower show at the Kanakakunnu Palace grounds, a stone’s throw away from there, the traffic islands at Vellayambalam junction, towards Vazhuthacaud and Sasthamangalam, are overgrown with weeds and shrubs. The flower show was inaugurated by the chief minister on Wednesday and will conclude on January 2.  

The traffic islands at Kowdiar, the Rose Garden, in front of the Museum and Zoo, LMS Junction, Palayam, Martyr’s Square and University  College - General Hospital Road - Pattoor are also unkempt. 
The landscaped area near the Thiruvananthapuram airport has not been in good shape for the past two months. But a TRDCL official told TNIE that the frequency of the maintenance work being done on these traffic islands has come down.

“The 15-year-long contract with the KRFB will be getting over soon. We will  be handing over the freehold then. But until then we will be carrying out our duties,” said a TRDCL official. But KRFB general manager K J Satheesh Kumar told TNIE that the TRDCL has not yet been asked to return the freehold.

“The  workers of TRDCL may not be resorting to daily maintenance on the traffic islands. The work is happening on a routine basis on the 42-km ring road as the contract is still on. I will ensure that the traffic islands are maintained properly,” said Satheesh.