“To get over the delay, in return for whatever space was taken from the existing shops, licenses were granted to build extra storeys, which meant additional business, additional staff and of course customers, all of whom arrive only in their personal vehicles and these vehicles have to be parked and parked vehicles eat up the space.”

There is an urgent need for fly-overs in several areas of the city, but only the 'Inner Ring Road' with its underpass, Bakery Junction Flyover and the fly-over under construction at Thakaraparambu have been included in CRIP. The Situation at busy junctions like Overbridge is downright chaotic. Under the present scheme, an alternative to fly overs is being implemented in the form of traffic signals at every junction to regulate the traffic flow. To the motorist it means encountering a red light at every half kilometer. Other than a few junctions like Kowdiar, Peroorkada and Panavila, in most other places the installation of the traffic signals has only helped worsen the situation, so much so that most of these are now simply kept on 'orange' most of the time.

The availability of land is the most pertinent issue that stalls the growth of this city, but the question does arise, if the lands have been used properly in the first place.

“50% of the land remains unused within the city itself,” he points out. “The thing is, you have businesses and offices on either side of a major road, while the land behind it is hardly utlilized the way it should be. And in Trivandrum, more than three quarters of the roads belong to the 'local' category, averaging a width of five and a half feet. So you can see how bad things are.”(if we keep ‘ill-laid, it contradicts with what u said earlier about the royals)

While the arrival of world-class showrooms or reputed brands in the MG Road and the Pattom – Kesavadasapuram Road is being pitched as sure signs of economic progress, a turnaround in the situation is what is needed. The growth that's currently occurring within the city should be arrested and taken out to the surrounding areas. Land should be kept reserved for the gradual widening of the road, with a twenty year vision. New buildings should be allowed to come up only beyond this specified area. The transportation system needs to be two tier, with the existing but more enhanced road system as the first tier and then flyovers and the upcoming monorail as the next tier. Instead of further expansion of the city limits, self sufficient satellite townships should be developed which are connected to the city with efficient means of transport.

While the proposed plan might seem a bit too sophisticated to be made real, in truth, things have already started moving in that direction. Apartment buildings have been gradually withdrawing from the city centre for sometime now and many developmental projects are focusing on the outskirts.

“There is already an automated growth in that direction, but it remains unchecked and unplanned. There is a need for conscientious planning for brining in the desired results in future for the city.”

While the city is still depending heavily upon the fruits of the visionary plans implemented by the kings, nothing is being planned or implemented for the future, which holds the promise of taking Trivandrum to the big league. The 'piece-meal' approach to the problems faced by the city would only work for a limited time, after which the situation is going to get even more desperate. Monorail is a step in the right direction, but it is by far, the only step that has been taken. More far-sighted and radical measures for the future is the need of the hour.