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New Indian Express
17-05-2025
- General
- New Indian Express
Bridging the gap: Road safety plan prioritises gender-inclusive infrastructure
KOCHI: The lack of public toilet facilities and well-lit areas have long been associated with the drawbacks of the road networks in the state. Now, a study report which forms the basis for the state government in preparing a 'Road Safety Action Plan' for the period 2025-30 has called for addressing such issues related to 'gender differences' and consider the different ways both men and women experience road safety and its related aspects. The 'Road Safety Action Plan for Kerala State (2025-2030)', prepared by the National Transportation Planning and Research Centre (NATPAC), an institution under the Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment (KSCSTE), has pitched for ensuring a gender perspective in transport planning. 'Engaging women and diverse gender groups in decision-making processes will ensure that road safety measures are comprehensive and promote equity, ultimately contributing to safer roads... Gender differences in road safety affect women differently due to physical, behavioural, and social reasons. Transport policy frameworks must provide an enabling environment for safe, secure, accessible, reliable, and sustainable mobility to address these gender differences,' the report said.
New Indian Express
12-05-2025
- Automotive
- New Indian Express
36 per cent of highways in Kerala unsafe for motorists
KOCHI: More than one-third of the highways in the state are prone to accidents, reveals a latest study report prepared by the National Transportation Planning and Research Centre (NATPAC). According to the 'Road Safety Action Plan for Kerala State (2025-2030)', more than 2,200 km of road corridors -- national highways (NH) and state highways -- in the state are found to be 'crash vulnerable'. The study has been done to facilitate the government to form a comprehensive Road Safety Action Plan which aims to cut the accident fatalities in the state by half by 2030. While a whopping 60% (1,089.4 km out of the total 1,811.52 km) of the NH is accident-prone, 26% of the state highways (1,144 km out of the total 4,342 km) falls under the category. Combined, 36% (2,233km out of 6,153 km) of the highways are crash vulnerable, shows the report. The Average Annual Traffic Crashes (AATC) for all major categories of roads in Kerala was found to be higher for NH with 5.15 crashes/km, followed by state highways (2.23 crashes/km). Other roads reported a low crash rate of around 0.10 crashes/km, the report states. As per the report, a major portion of the vulnerable stretches is in Thrissur (289.9 km) while Ernakulam is second with 265.7 km, followed by Kozhikode (224.3 km), Malappuram (219.7 km), Alappuzha (192.4 km), Kottayam (183.1 km), Thiruvananthapuram (174) km), Palakkad (168.2 km), Kollam (143.1 km), Kannur (137.8 km), Pathanamthitta (83.8 km), Kasaragod (55.3 km), Idukki (49.8 km) and Wayanad (47.7 km).
Time of India
29-04-2025
- Automotive
- Time of India
Natpac offers end-to-end plan to ease capital's parking woes
T'puram: National Transportation Planning and Research Centre (Natpac) completed a comprehensive three-year study aimed at streamlining city's parking system. The report, which presents a city-wide parking policy framework , is expected to be submitted to the city corporation by May-end for implementation. The initiative follows Natpac's earlier 2019 proposal, which recommended demarcation of parking zones along MG Road under Smart City project. However, that plan failed to take off due to funding constraints. This time, Natpac's strategy offers an end-to-end solution that doesn't rely on expensive multi-level parking infrastructure. S Shaheem, head of transportation, planning and engineering at Natpac, told TOI that the latest report builds upon the 2019 submission and was prepared using funds from the state department of science and technology. "We started work in 2022 and completed the study in March 2025. The report is ready for all local bodies in the state, and Thiruvananthapuram city corporation will receive theirs by the end of next month," he said. Meanwhile, corporation secretary Jahamgeer S confirmed that the new report would be discussed at an upcoming traffic advisory meeting. "We will study the findings and align them with the goals of our Master Plan 2040," he said. The study, estimated at Rs 40-50 lakh, identifies several high-demand zones, including LMS Junction to Attakulangara Junction stretch and Plamoodu-Pattom-Kesavadasapuram corridor, where peak parking demand exceeds 400 equivalent car spaces. The report outlines how illegal parking, unauthorised conversion of designated spaces and weak enforcement led to severe traffic bottlenecks. To address these challenges, Natpac proposes a dynamic parking framework tailored to different land uses, including residential, commercial, institutional and healthcare. Recommendations include demand-based pricing, introduction of metered systems, remote parking lots linked by pedestrian-friendly access routes and deployment of smart parking technology such as mobile apps, digital meters and automated enforcement tools. A major component of the study involved a user opinion survey of 1,700 respondents. Findings revealed that 69% of commuters use two-wheelers and nearly half of them spend over 15 minutes searching for a parking space. Interestingly, 41% of respondents expressed willingness to shift to public transport if on-street parking were restricted. Other suggestions from the public included increased support for 'park-and-ride' schemes, carpooling and development of off-street parking complexes. The report calls for specific solutions in hospital zones to ensure patient access and advocates shared parking strategies in commercial areas.
