T’puram: The traffic signal at Kacheri Junction, one of Attingal’s busiest intersections, has been out of order for the past two days, disrupting traffic movement and raising safety concerns among motorists and pedestrians. The junction, where the NH intersects Chirayinkeezhu Road, BTS Road and Police Station Road, handles heavy traffic throughout the day. With the signal remaining defunct, vehicles are forced to negotiate the intersection without proper regulation, resulting in congestion and increasing the risk of accidents. The situation is particularly difficult for pedestrians, including school students and people visiting the nearby village office, courts, sub-registrar’s office, police station and other govt offices located in the mini civil station. Many are forced to wait for long periods or cross the highway cautiously amid continuous traffic. Traffic wardens are deployed only during peak hours owing to manpower constraints. At other times, only a home guard is available to regulate traffic whenever possible. Police said the signal has developed faults on several occasions in recent months and urged authorities to find a permanent solution instead of carrying out temporary repairs. They also called for continuous traffic management at the junction until the signal is restored, pointing out that Kacheri Junction is a key gateway connecting the NH with several important roads in Attingal. “We have informed Keltron about the malfunction and requested that the signal be repaired at the earliest,” a police officer said.
