Attingal: The new traffic arrangement here is creating more problems off the road than on the road. Drivers and passengers are increasingly becoming accustomed to the new arrangement. But controversies are raging in court rooms, municipal offices and on newspaper pages. The hearing of the case filed by Congress leaders (see the entry on September 12) against the traffic reform commenced yesterday in Munsif Court. The case will continue today. Adv. Chirayinkizh Babu , who appeared for the plaintiff, argued that municipal authorities or the police officials have no power to force a traffic arrangement in National Highway without the permission of higher authorities. Also, he argued by citing bylaw that an RTO meeting should have been conducted before making any reform in traffic. Government pleader Chavarcode Raju countered this by stating that the traffic reform was implemented after sufficient discussion among authorities and representatives of people. He argued that the plaintiff himself had taken part in two such meetings and in those meetings nobody had any complaint on the new arrangement.
Meanwhile, five municipal councilors of the opposition picketed the Municipal Office yesterday evening. Anil Kumar, Saifudeen, Shankar, Gopinathan Pilla and Indira Bai sat on the floor in front of the Municipal Office and started shouting slogans against new traffic arrangement and the Municipal Chairman. People and police gathered around them quickly. But after half an hour, the councilors stopped the picketing after discussions with police officers and other councilors.
Kerala Kaumudi, a Malayalam daily that is particularly strong in Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam districts, published a front page new story about the traffic arrangement in Attingal. Though the article was a hastily written one with more views than news, it demonstrates the importance this issue has gained. Usually, Attingal gets front page attention only when some major political or social leaders come here or when a ghastly accident takes place somewhere near here. The report describes the new arrangement as “Tuglaq-style” reform. In fact, local reporters of most Malayalam newspapers have gone for an overdrive regarding this issue, pointing out whatever minor things they felt as wrong.
Meanwhile, five municipal councilors of the opposition picketed the Municipal Office yesterday evening. Anil Kumar, Saifudeen, Shankar, Gopinathan Pilla and Indira Bai sat on the floor in front of the Municipal Office and started shouting slogans against new traffic arrangement and the Municipal Chairman. People and police gathered around them quickly. But after half an hour, the councilors stopped the picketing after discussions with police officers and other councilors.
Kerala Kaumudi, a Malayalam daily that is particularly strong in Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam districts, published a front page new story about the traffic arrangement in Attingal. Though the article was a hastily written one with more views than news, it demonstrates the importance this issue has gained. Usually, Attingal gets front page attention only when some major political or social leaders come here or when a ghastly accident takes place somewhere near here. The report describes the new arrangement as “Tuglaq-style” reform. In fact, local reporters of most Malayalam newspapers have gone for an overdrive regarding this issue, pointing out whatever minor things they felt as wrong.
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