From the blog
Koyilandi (or Quilandy/Quilandi) is a city and a municipality in Kozhikode district, North Malabar region of the Indian state of Kerala. This town is between Kozhikode and Badagara (Vatakara) and is on NH 17. It is the birthplace of the state’s most famous freedom fighter Kelappaji, often referred to as Kerala Gandhi. Koyilandi is also famous for traditional smoking pipes. However, the city has been facing traffic congestion for a while now, with no concrete solutions in sight.
The Center for Public Policy Research conducted a detailed survey in the city, to understand the city’s mobility structure. It covered aspects like peak traffic time, details of public vehicles, ratio of the vehicles passing through each roads, and measurement of roads, details of visits to the city, among other factors. Detailed maps of various areas were collected and prepared. A detailed proposal for the city’s traffic situation is being prepared and will be submitted to the Koyilandi Municipal Corporation on February 16.
Koyilandi is a major city between Calicut and Kannur, and the main business area is on both sides of NH17, and covers a distance of two km. This includes two bus stands, a market, a court, a hospital, a few educational institutes, two cinema theaters and two major junctions (Railway Station Road junction and Thamarassery Road Junction). The main roads in Koyilandi are NH17 (connects Calicut and Kannur) and SH34 to Thamarassery. These roads are narrow, with widths of 7.5 m and 6 m, respectively. Road widening is imperative here, with acquisition of land and demolition of the business centres. With the Arabian Sea on one side and a railway line on the other, the construction of a road parallel to the NH17 is impossible.
Interestingly, although there is a railway station in Koyilandi, a majority of the commuters use road transport. Around 350 buses, and 1,000 autorickshaws ply in the city, apart from thousands of other vehicles passing through to Calicut and Kannur. A proposed bypass of the city is still pending for approval. The high ratio of traffic violations makes the situation even worse.
