Kerala Roads, really annoying!
Published October 6, 2010 | How annoying it is to walk on our Kerala roads when it is raining heavily. Most of all are the big potholes and ponds that form during monsoon, which makes travel difficult for all (especially pedestrians). 
Now imagine!!…You are on your way to office dressed all tip-top, and happen to be near a pothole filled with dirty water. A vehicle (It is best if it is a private bus or a private car, especially Omnis) passes by at a 100 kmph. Now have a look on yourself, once the vehicle moved off. You look more attractive now, don’t you? With a dress (no need to say if you have worn a light coloured one) now designed in innovative yet natural way. The person who made you look beautiful anyway is not going to see you, but if any onlookers are nearby, they can have chuckle themselves or pity you. But you are at freedom to curse that driver, but all to yourself. Most of the pedestrians are sure to have experienced this at least once in their lifetime. So, the next time you are going to be more careful when you happen to be near any potholes.
When it comes to drivers, the bad conditions of roads will make them feel they have driven 500 kms after just driving 50 kms. If you need only just 30 minutes to reach your destination, now it takes over an hour for travelling.
Of the 160,944 km of roads in the state, 28,203 km fall under the jurisdiction of the Public Works Department, and around 67 percent of roads fall under jurisdiction of various village panchayats. Over 70 per cent of the roads in the state are damaged and unfit for vehicular traffic. Though the government has taken to repair works on a war footing, the monsoon almost always washes it off.
Every year a lot of money is spend on road maintenance and the roads are tarred every year. But as soon as the monsoons arrives these tarred roads gets torn apart and great pot holes develop which make the roads look really pathetic and are a real nightmare for travellers. Who is to blame the corrupt politicians or contractors or both? A lot of major accidents occur every month due to the bad state of the roads in Kerala. Although Kerala is a major tourist destination in India and is given the title ‘God’s own country’, the pathetic roads in Kerala has not done justice to this self-styled name.
Leave us alone we need no roads to development: Kerala
Published May 10, 2010 | National Highway Authority of India is initiating the need to widen the roads of the country to international standards. This means our national highways will be 6-lane road and will have access on both sides, flyovers, pedestrians walkway and zebra crossings to name a few, it all sounds so wonderful. But, hold on! the politicians in Kerala are thinking something else. Strange, but all political parties in Kerala have united together (a rare sight) for a common cause and unanimously they say, ‘We need no roads..oops sorry no wide roads.
The politicians after having decided over a cup of tea that the state needs only 30 metre broad roads against the proposed 60-metre. All the good Samaritan (politicians) of the Kerala society have finally decided to meet the Prime Minister, and apprise him about this decision. And we know what the PM is going to say ”Who cares, if you want 30-45-60 meter roads, it is you who is going to suffer.
The narrow minded politicians aren’t thinking practically, what this decision means for the future generation who will be forced to squeeze themselves for space. As a literate state, is it not the duty of these politicians to come together with intellectuals and educate the people how much it will benefit. But sadly, none have really bothered to tell us what it is all about, and shamefully we all know what it is all about. Vote bank politics and we have rather become politicians slaves.
Why is that the people of Kerala are getting so laid back, I have seen them agitating everywhere and for everything, but when it comes to real issues there is no reaction. It takes more than 9-years to complete and still no where to build a railway-overhead-bridge on a busy NH-17 highway, Edapally, Kochi, but we rather prefer to adjust with the situation and suffer.
Remember we are living in world’s largest democracy, so no one to blame but ourselves. Leaders don’t build nations, its build by you and me. Had we realized the power we have, this state would have been a different place all together. Till then lets keep grumbling and complaining.
Dial a complaint and say “bye bye” to road potholes
Published January 13, 2010 | Now, the residents of Kerala will have a reason to complain. The good news is that anyone can call any of the 250 officials of the state Public Works Department (PWD) on their mobile phones to inform them of new pot holes on the roads.
The PWD Minister P.J. Joseph has promised the people of Kerala that the potholes will be filled in less than two days. In order to speed-up the procedures, the minister has distributed new mobile phones to PWD engineers. This new facility is in addition to the recently-functioning toll free number that became operational in 2009 by the end of November. From Nov 23 to Jan 8, the PWD department have received 1,170 calls on the toll free number. The minister has claimed that most of those complaints could be rectified in less than two days and has been done. The PWD department has received total complaints pertaining to pot holes numbering 311, followed by 275 complaints of damaged roads and 114 about bad drainage.
The Minister has assured the public that as soon as a complaint is received it gets registered and in less than two days it would be attended and completed. And once the job is done, the complainant gets a call from the PWD official saying that the job has been done!
Of the 173,592 km of roads in the state, the PWD has under its jurisdiction 29,727 km. The giant share of 122,232 km is under local village councils. Now, let’s imagine the situation of those 250 officials of the state PWD department, once the phone numbers have reached the public. They will have time only to attend the calls from different parts of Kerala state. And, I am sure that the registers will be filled with complaints.
Anyway, let’s awake in the mornings dreaming of travelling on a beautiful Kerala road without any pot holes.
Count your stars if you are on Cochin road!
Published January 2, 2010 | Cochin, the financial capital city of Kerala represents largely with narrow roads with hundreds of cars and no parking lots. With millions of vehicles of all sizes on the road, the need for wider roads is just a dream (keep dreaming).
Secondly the roads in Kochi are not safe. No there are no robberies or dacoits on the roads, it is a different ball game. You may meet with an accident even if your are not at fault. The roads are so narrow and crowded and everyone is fighting for space. So if you reach home safely in the evening don’t ask for more. Accident is not new in Kochi, you will only be surprised if there is none reported in a day.
This morning I saw people gathered on the bridge over the canal near our Karma Kerala office (Subhash Chandra Bose road). Was wondering what happened! thought the Corporation might have agreed to clear off the hyacinth that was a breeding ground for mosquitoes. I took a closer look only to see a tipper van submerged in the water. It first looked like 1) the driver wanted to be a diver for a day, 2) wanted to cool his heels so took this noble plunge, 3) or effects of the New Year hangover.
None of my guesses was right till a passerby elucidated that another vehicle with a drunk driver (probably) at the wheel slammed into the rear of that poor parked tipper throwing it into the canal. This happened in the early morning and luckily there was no pedestrian or other vehicles on the road. A poor old lady was counting her stars as
she overslept and was late today for her morning walk.
It means even parked vehicles are not safe in Cochin roads. This reminds me of another incidence on NH-17, which is horrifyingly narrow with houses close enough on both sides of the road. One night another drunk driver rammed into the nearby house and into the bedroom injuring the man who was sleeping peacefully. Others in his neighborhood got up the next morning only to see this truck parked in his room!
Every other policemen is seen hunting for drunken drivers, but still nothing works. Kochities care less about traffic rules and driving etiquettes. Accidents are rampant. There is no proper definition for roads in Cochin. If we try to get a pedestrian survey, you will probably end up with litigation. The road to this city never grows.
Road rage in Kerala
Published December 15, 2009 | 
Road rage was something unheard of in this small city of Cochin till recently. If you thought that it can happen only in bustling metros and in western countries, you would be in for a surprise. People on the road are getting increasingly violent and impatient in their race against the ticking clock. The so called Road rage motto that says ‘anyone going faster than you is a maniac; anyone going slower than you is an idiot’ seems to work on our city roads as well! People indulging in fist fights and verbal duals have become a common sight on the city roads and in many cases, the traffic police on duty prefers to turn a blind eye to the whole incident, resulting in the hold up of vehicles including those on emergency services like the ambulance and the fire engines!
Bad roads and traffic congestion drives up the adrenalin and tension of those behind the wheels. The over speeding buses and the teenage bikers, who almost always have a penchant to ride on the wrong side and the pedestrians who remain blissfully oblivious of the happenings around add up to the driving woes. Stray cattle heads, overloaded heavy vehicles and unruly kids who run helter skelter during the morning peak hours make driving a nightmare in Kerala even for the well experienced drivers. The current festival season of Christmas, New Year and Sabarimala pilgrimage season have made matters worse.
Road rage can be prevented by creating awareness about traffic rules and regulations and ensuring better road facilities. To make up for those traffic snarls and hold ups on the way, the vehicle owners could set out for work a bit early instead of venting their frustration on the fellow drivers on the road. As they say it is better to be late than never; so do not risk your life and limb by indulging in rash driving and road rage.