Kayamkulam: An automatic traffic signal introduced to ease congestion at the Kayamkulam police station junction is instead causing long snarl-ups on KP Road and adjoining roads. Motorists say the system needs an urgent rethink as queues of vehicles build up during busy hours.

Traffic at the junction was earlier regulated manually by the police before the automatic signal was introduced recently to ensure smoother movement. The junction, however, has limited space and handles traffic from all four directions, meaning even a brief disruption in the flow can quickly snowball into a major traffic jam.

A longer green phase for vehicles on KP Road could help ease the congestion, motorists say, while also pointing out that traffic heading towards Kattanam and Adoor is far heavier than the flow of vehicles turning towards Thattarambalam.

Police personnel have been deployed at the junction to check signal violations, but traffic snarls continue to be severe at times. Motorists say a detailed study of traffic movement and a corresponding revamp of the signal timings could help address the problem.

The Onam season has added to the pressure, with vehicle numbers on the roads higher than usual. The automatic signal, it is pointed out, is proving inadequate to handle the increased traffic volume.

When the signal turns red, vehicles begin piling up from the KSRTC Junction towards the Railway Junction. As motorists are forced to crawl through the stretch, the congestion quickly spills over to adjoining roads, leaving the entire town struggling to cope with the traffic.