Violations at entry, exit points endanger traffic flow on Kozhikode bypass road

Rampant violations of traffic rules at the demarcated entry and exit points along the six-lane Kozhikode bypass road have emerged as a major safety hazard for motorists. Despite the installation of CCTV cameras and cautionary signboards, many drivers continue to flout regulations by making sudden entries onto the bypass or accessing service roads through unauthorised points.

Road safety bollards erected to mark permitted entry and exit points remain partially damaged at several stretches, further encouraging unsafe practices. While light motor vehicle drivers and motorcycle riders are frequently involved in such violations, heavy vehicles have also been found breaking highway discipline in attempts to shorten their journey by a few kilometres.

Inter-district taxi operators, who regularly ferry passengers to Kozhikode international airport, point out that unauthorised and unexpected entries and exits from restricted areas disrupt the smooth flow of traffic on the six-lane highway. In many instances, motorists enter the bypass through service road exit points without checking the speed of oncoming vehicles, increasing the risk of collisions.

Ambulance drivers have also raised concerns over frequent violations of one-way traffic regulations on service roads, particularly by drivers attempting to access the bypass quickly through exit points. They allege that delays in conducting flash inspections have allowed such violations to go unchecked. Although camera surveillance covers the entire 28-km-long bypass, proper monitoring of the footage to identify and penalise violators is yet to be effectively implemented, they claim.

“From Thondayad to Malaparamba, the one-way traffic regulation on the service road is hardly enforced. As a result, there is a chaotic situation at the Thondayad junction now,” says Rathnakumar Paravath, a building contractor from the area. He points out that the free left movement of vehicles from Malaparamba towards the Medical College side is frequently disrupted due to violations of one-way rules.

Reckless entry of vehicles from the Chevayur side onto the bypass near the Malaparamba junction has also begun affecting the free movement of traffic on the main carriageway. The police are forced to camp at the spot regularly to prevent rash entries.

A retired Public Works department engineer recalls that experts had earlier raised strong objections to the provision of numerous entry and exit points along the bypass, citing the risk of interruptions to fast-moving vehicles. “There should be stronger measures to monitor stray vehicle movements at such high-risk points to prevent major tragedies,” he adds.

Meanwhile, police sources say that enforcement actions based on CCTV visuals will be intensified in the wake of growing public concern. They also claim that local drivers form the majority of violators and often refuse to cooperate with the newly introduced regulations following the opening of the six-lane road.