Heavy traffic violations at designated entry and exit points along the six-lane Kozhikode bypass have emerged as a major safety hazard for motorists. Despite the installation of CCTV cameras and warning boards, many drivers continue to flout the rules by suddenly entering the bypass or arriving on service roads through unauthorized points.
Road safety bollards that mark permitted entry and exit remain partially damaged in several sections, further encouraging unsafe practices. While drivers of light motor vehicles and motorcycle riders often commit such offences, heavy vehicles have been found flouting discipline on the highway in an attempt to shorten their journey by a few kilometres.
Inter-district taxi operators, who regularly ferry passengers to the Kozhikode International Airport, warn that unauthorized and unexpected entry and exit from restricted areas are disrupting the flow of traffic on the six-lane highway. In many cases, motorists enter the bypass via exits from service roads without checking the speed of oncoming vehicles, which increases the risk of collision.
Ambulance drivers have also expressed concern about frequent violations of one-way traffic regulations on service roads, particularly by drivers trying to quickly get to the bypass via exit points. They claim that delays in carrying out flash checks have allowed such violations to go unchecked. Even though camera surveillance covers the entire 28 km bypass, proper monitoring of the footage to identify and punish violators is yet to be effectively implemented, he said.
“From Thondayad to Malaparamba, one-way traffic is hardly enforced on the service road. As a result, the Thondayad junction is now a chaotic situation,” says Rathnakumar Paravath, a construction contractor from the area. He points out that the free left movement of vehicles from Malaparamba towards the Medical College side is often disrupted due to violation of one-way rules.
Reckless entry of vehicles from the Chevayur side onto the bypass near the Malaparamba junction has also started affecting the free flow of traffic on the main road. The police are forced to camp at the site regularly to prevent reckless entry.
A retired Public Works Department engineer recalls that experts had earlier raised strong objections to providing multiple entry and exit points along the bypass, citing the risk of cutting off fast-moving vehicles. “There should be stricter measures to monitor the movement of stray vehicles in such high-risk locations to prevent major tragedies,” he adds.
Meanwhile, police sources say enforcement measures based on CCTV images will be stepped up due to growing public interest. They also claim that local drivers make up the majority of violators and often refuse to cooperate with the newly introduced regulations after the opening of the six-lane road.
Published – 21 Dec 2025 19:46 IST
