KOCHI: The dismantling of the North RoB is creating hurdles for the business community in the area. More so for the scrap dealers and vendors who are in a helpless state. The corporation is yet to rehabilitate them as promised. Protesting against this, the Vyapari Vyavasayi Samiti took out a march from the High Court Junction to the corporation office and submitted a memorandum to the authorities.“We are not against development or the metro rail project. We are against the corporation’s stand on the rehabilitation of the vendors under the bridge. Our business has been affected by the work. The corporation should have opened the alternative roads after repairs before dismantling the North RoB. As two-wheelers and autorickshaws will not be allowed to ply in the area during peak shopping hours, customers tend to choose other options,” said Abdul Wahid, district general secretary of the Samiti.“Though the contractors are optimistic about completing the road work within 18 months, delay cannot be ruled out. If it takes more months for completion of the work, the future of the businessmen in the area will be hit as about 50 per cent of the vehicles may take the bypass route. Major businesses will shift to the bypass area. Our business has come down by 25 per cent after the traffic diversion,” he said. Look at Mattanchery. It was once a big business hub. The MG Road area might have to face the same plight,” he said. But the Kerala Merchants Union office-bearers think otherwise. “This is only a temporary hurdle. Once the traffic is streamlined, things will be better. However, the businesses in and around the north area will be hit for the time being. We have spoken to them and asked them not to panic as the metro work will benefit the business community in the long run,” Merchants Union president Venkatesh Pai said. Even otherwise, the North RoB has to be widened and it would have created hurdles. We do not fear a shift in major business activities to the bypass area, he said. But the corporation must see to it that alternative routes are repaired and traffic smoothened. “We are trying our best to ease the problems of the business community in the north area by creating awareness on the benefits once the work is completed and seeing that shoppers on two-wheelers have easy access to the shops in the area,” he said.
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