Illegal parking by private tourist vehicles and buses on Kochi’s busy national highway bypass is creating traffic obstruction and road-safety risks near Kundannur, with schoolchildren reportedly being forced to get off buses in the middle of the road.
A report by Malayala Manorama said large tourist buses are being parked near the foot-over bridge at Kannadikkadu, close to Kundannur, blocking part of the bypass and making the pedestrian facility difficult to use. The vehicles are reportedly stopped for rest and washing, despite the area carrying heavy traffic.
The parking is also obstructing the view of vehicles entering the bypass from the service road. Drivers travelling along the bypass may not be able to see vehicles emerging from the service road when large buses are parked close to the access point, according to the report. This creates a collision risk at a location where vehicles move through at speed.
Pedestrians face a separate danger because the parked buses obstruct movement near the foot-over bridge. People who cannot use the bridge are reportedly forced to walk on the road. The obstruction also affects school buses. In the situation described by the report, a school bus carrying students stopped at the location but had insufficient space to pull over, leaving children to get down in the middle of the road.
The report said unauthorised parking is not limited to Kannadikkadu. Tourist vehicles and private buses are also being parked at different points along the bypass, causing sudden traffic disruptions. The combination of heavy vehicle movement, blocked sightlines and pedestrians entering the carriageway has created repeated hazardous situations in the area.
The report also referred to accidents occurring in the vicinity on several occasions, while stating that illegal parking has continued. It said enforcement action has not been taken despite the violations being visible to authorities. The account did not identify any specific enforcement agency or provide details of penalties, towing operations or a planned intervention.
The issue highlights the operational gap between the design of a high-capacity bypass and the way its roadside space is being used. A road intended to carry fast-moving traffic can become dangerous when buses use its edge for informal parking, passenger drop-off or cleaning. Service-road junctions and pedestrian crossings are especially vulnerable when parked vehicles conceal approaching traffic.
The report called for steps to remove the parking hazard and improve traffic safety on the bypass. No official statement or implementation timeline was included in the material available for this report.
