I am a person living in Kochi (within the limits of the Corporation) since 1970. I do agree with the complaints raised in the thread. The city is developing everyday in the sense more and more vehicles pouring down into the street. But no action has taken by the authorities to improve the roads proportionately.
When I cam here forty years back the two major roads were MG Road (Padma route) and Shanmugham road (the Menaka route). Even now it is the same. The widening of the road is done at the expense of foot path. There no means for the pedestrians to walk. If a footpath is there, it will be occupied by vendors. See in front of the Menaka (now only the name remains, Menaka theater is no more).
If a pedestrian has to cross the road he has to waint for ten minutes or more. There are no specified pedestrian crossing areas, even if there is one the vehicles will not stop for the convenience of pedestrians. Only in those junctions where signal lights are provided this arrangements are available.
When the traffic is four lane, with a median, two lane will be there to one side. So, naturally, the motorists overtake whichever side is empty, that is what happens. Road discipline is something which is unheard as far as the drivers (two or four or six wheeler)of this part of the country are concerned.
Parking vehicles wrongly are also very frequent here. Authorities are very slow to react.
T.M.Sankaran
Gold Member, SPK