The Kerala High Court has directed the agencies concerned to immediately identify, level, and permanently rectify all road surface protrusions and uneven portions surrounding metro pillars in Kochi.
They must also install effective safety measures, including high-visibility warning signages, reflective road markers, rumble strips, and impact-absorbing protective installations around metro pillars such hazardous locations. On its part, the Kochi Corporation must appoint a technical committee or expert agency to conduct a comprehensive safety audit of all roads along the metro rail corridor and submit a report by June 11 when the court could next hear the case.
A Division Bench of Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice V.M. Syam Kumar issued the order while hearing a public interest litigation by Pauly Vadakkan. The court further directed the Corporation secretary to convene an urgent meeting of stakeholders and take appropriate steps to ensure speedy restoration of all the affected roads and to conduct a safety audit.
In his plea, Mr. Vadakkan also cited several instances in which the alarming sinking of road surfaces near the metro pile caps led to accidents, resulting in loss of life.
It had been reported that such road-surface protrusions abound at innumerable places in the metro corridor, often one after the other, resulting in a bumpy ride for motorists. They also prompt motorists to apply sudden brake and veer to one side to avoid the protrusions.
