Kochi authorities have announced a set of road safety measures for the InfoPark corridor after a software employee was killed in a road accident near Kuzhikkattumoola on November 4, including a study for one-way traffic, stricter checks on private buses and the construction of dedicated footpaths.
The measures were discussed at an emergency meeting convened by Uma Thomas MLA at the district collector’s chamber. District Collector G Priyanka, Additional District Magistrate K Manoj, Thrikkakara municipal chairperson Rashida Ullampalli, elected representatives and officials from the police, Public Works Department, Kochi Metro, NATPAC and the Motor Vehicles Department attended the meeting.
Officials identified reckless racing by private buses and narrow roads as major factors behind the accident. The road safety response will cover the stretch from IMG Junction to InfoPark, around the collectorate area. Authorities will study whether the corridor can be converted into a one-way system to improve traffic movement and reduce conflicts between buses, other vehicles and pedestrians.
The Motor Vehicles Department will revise private bus timetables in an effort to reduce racing between services. The meeting also decided that private bus drivers must possess a police clearance certificate, while conductors must hold valid licences. Bus owners will be held responsible for serious traffic violations by their employees and will be required to verify the background records of drivers.
Private buses will also be required to comply with the speed limit of 35 kmph mandated by the high court. All buses are to display the Kochi city traffic police’s ‘Traffic Eye’ WhatsApp helpline, 6238100100, allowing commuters and other road users to report overspeeding. The meeting did not specify a separate enforcement schedule for these measures.
The proposed physical changes include widening sections of the road by acquiring land from institutions such as the Kerala Books and Publishing Society and the collectorate. The Thrikkakara municipality will construct replacement boundary walls where required. Officials also agreed to remove unused utility poles and cables along the corridor and create dedicated pedestrian footpaths.
The proposed interventions address both traffic operations and the limited space available to pedestrians on roads serving one of Kochi’s major employment zones. The presence of officials from the municipality, transport agencies, police, PWD, NATPAC and Kochi Metro indicates that implementation will require coordination across land, enforcement, road design and public transport responsibilities.
Uma Thomas said the meeting would be followed by a review within one week to assess progress. “Our goal is to ensure such tragedies never happen again,” she said. The review will determine how far the proposed one-way study, bus enforcement measures, road widening, utility clearance and footpath plans have advanced.
