Kochi airport road turns race track in dead of night

KOCHI: Unchecked speeding and alleged late-night street racing on the airport road have come under scrutiny following Sunday’s fatal accident in Nedumbassery that claimed the lives of three youngsters.

Local residents say luxury cars and high-performance motorcycles routinely engage in racing on the stretch in the late-night and early-morning hours. The loud revving of engines and acceleration of vehicles is deafening, they said.

They point to poor surveillance and limited police patrolling as factors that allow such recklessness to continue. Nedumbassery panchayat president Jessy George said the quality of the road encourages some youngsters to take to the stretch to quench their need for speed. “There have been multiple accidents, with some resulting in injuries.

We cannot wait for a serious accident to clamp down on such activity,” Jessy said. Locals also question the adequacy of timely surveillance. “There are people who gather along the airport road at night for various reasons, either to have tea, watch aircraft land or simply hang out. Some even challenge each other to races on the service roads,” said Johney Mathew, an IT employee who frequents the area at night.

“Sharp turns make it difficult to control vehicles travelling at high speeds. The lack of traffic signals adds to the problem,” said Kalpaka Nagar ward member A K Dhanesh

Ernakulam Rural SP K S Sudarsan said, “Cameras are already in place. We are focusing on detecting vehicles using cameras and patrolling as part of the special drive. Surveillance will be further strengthened,” Sudarsan said.

Meanwhile, Cochin International Airport Ltd spokesperson said “The roads are well maintained and lighting, medians and road markers are in place. Any measures taken by police will be supported.”

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