JOIN USThe 225-year-old town, constructed by king Veerarajendra, is marred by traffic issues. Not just the people of the town, but also the neighbouring villagers and tourists are facing these problems.
Virajpet is a commercial centre. Vehicles enter the town through the state highway and the interstate highway. However, the roads have not been widened in accordance with the growing requirements.
The stretch of Clock Tower-Private bus stand-market-Doddatti Chowki Road has been left narrow for the past several years. The locals said that the widening of the road will solve 80% of the current traffic problems.
Even though the KSRTC road was widened a couple of years ago, it has made no difference as the number of vehicles has grown exponentially. The Kerala state highway, passing through the heart of the town, is said to be the main reason for traffic congestion.
The lack of parking space has added to the problem. The vehicle owners park their vehicles on the roadside, eating up half the narrow main road. The quality of the concrete road from Badriya junction - meat market, has not been up to the mark. The iron rods laid for the concrete have projected out of the road, causing a huge inconvenience to vehicle riders.
The members of the public have urged the city administration to clear the road encroachments by vendors and initiate action against the wrongdoers. A local resident said that many people have not left the set back area while constructing buildings. This is resulting in the shortage of parking space. The KSRTC road is a good example of the fact that availability of parking space will boost the commercial activities, he added.
Advocate Anwar Ahmed said, "When it comes to the widening of the road, Town Panchayat and PWD point fingers at each other. In the interest of the public, there is a need to widen the road."
Merchant Subhash said, "The authorities should take a bold step to widen the road. They should impress upon the building owners the need for widening the road."