Vyttila Hub helps ease city traffic

KOCHI: Taking out a main chunk of traffic off the city roads, the Vyttila Mobility Hub has become a hub of activity. Despite various handicaps, the hub could play a key role in easing the traffic snarls in the city within a few days.All the buses except some of the buses operating from Ernakulam KSRTC stand and the private buses from Perumbavoor, Kanjiramattom and Pirvaom side are not allowed to enter the city. All these buses halt at the mobility hub as the city buses enter the hub and pick up the passengers to the city from there. “Though there may be some difficulties for the long-distance passengers as there are only a few shops and facilities in the hub, it has already gone a great way in streamlining the traffic in the city,” Joseph, a commuter from Perumbavoor said.There is lot of space for parking all the buses as 13 terminals have already been opened. According to the plans, six terminals will be allotted exclusively for KSRTC buses. Around 650 buses enter the mobility hub every day. “As the hub has become functional, traffic in the city has come down significantly. Of the 650 buses that enter the hub, all except 80 city service buses halt there. The city buses mainly Vyttila-Vyttila circulars and the buses from Tripunithura side pick up the passengers to city from the hub,” said Baby Vinod, Assistant Commissioner, Traffic East. Though the hub has become functional, it has a lot of handicaps as well. The narrow exit from  the hub to the Vyttila-Tripunithura Road is adding to the congestion there. The authorities are yet to plan the development of Vyttila junction. “Efforts are still on to acquire the land for widening the stretch between the hub and Vyttila junction,” Baby Vinod said.The shortage of adequate city buses to take the passengers arriving at the hub is another major drawback. In the absence of adequate buses, the commuters have to wait for a long time to board buses to reach their destinations in the city. “We will take measures to arrange more city buses from the mobility hub,” Baby Vinod said.