Babu calls for scientific means to repair roads

KOCHI: The nexus between the contractors and various officials concerned should be broken to carry out road repair works effectively in the city, Excise Minister K Babu said here on Sunday. Speaking at the valedictory function of the road conclave organised here, the Minister hinted that the caucus formed by the officials and contractors has resulted in the poor quality of some of the roads.Congratulating the Kochi Corporation authorities for organising such a conclave, Babu said that it is high time the town planners looked into a scientific approach for road repair works. “New specifications should be introduced by giving due consideration to the geographic specialities of the city. Nowadays, though the Corporation is spending crores of rupees annually for maintenance works, they get damaged even in slightest rain,” Babu said.The Minister said the specifications like laying 20 mm chipping carpet for repairing arterial roads should be revamped. “These specifications were finalised some decades ago. They should be changed. The frequency of vehicles has increased considerably in the last 10 years. Hence new specifications according to the density and volume of traffic should be introduced,” he said.Earlier, the experts said the city is having substandard road geometrics and poor riding quality. The volume of traffic is more than the capacity, resulting in traffic congestion and delays. “A review of existing road network of Kochi shows an incomplete network with bulk of the traffic carried by few roads,” they observed. Mayor Tony Chammany presided over the valedictory session of the conclave.