Kakkanad commuters stranded as private buses take unauthorized detours

Kakkanad: Commuters and motorists in Kakkanad are facing inconvenience as several private buses have begun taking unauthorized detours through narrow interior roads to bypass traffic bottlenecks and reduce travel time.

A number of private buses operating on the Kakkanad route are routinely utilizing the Kunnumpuram–Civil Line Road and the Seaport–Airport–Padamugal link road without valid route permits. By diverting through these residential corridors, operators are bypassing designated stages, including Kunnumpuram, NGO Quarters, Ambadimoola, Olimugal and the Municipal bus stand, leaving commuters there stranded.

The diversions are largely driven by traffic congestion along the main Kakkanad corridor due to the ongoing Kochi Metro rail construction. To avoid delays, several bus operators have taken to skipping intermediate stops entirely.

However, the Kunnumpuram–Civil Station stretch is narrow and ill-equipped for heavy vehicular movement. Following a recent prohibition on U-turns at Kunnumpuram Junction, the corridor already handles a substantial volume of diverted light vehicles. The unauthorized entry of large private buses into this bottleneck has led to severe gridlock, rendering the road virtually impassable even for pedestrians.

Compounding the crisis, several operators park their vehicles illegally along the Kunnumpuram–Civil Line Road after concluding their night operations, further obstructing traffic flow. Local residents have called upon the Traffic Police and the Motor Vehicles Department (MVD) to intervene immediately and enforce strict compliance with designated route permits.