A REPORT

BACHELOR OF ARCHITECTURE
MANIPAL SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE AND
PLANNING
Dissertation topic
Social dimension regarding traffic and road networking in
Kannur city

• India has the world's second-largest road network behind China. National
highways represent almost 97,991 kilometres of the road network's total
length of 5.4 million kilometres.
• Due to the sheer enormity of the task, providing world-class roads is
already a significant challenge for the Indian government. To make
matters worse, India must spend nearly 20,000 to 30,000 crores every year
on road repair. The cause for this is the rise in private automobile
ownership as well as the overcrowding of roadways in all of the country's
main cities.
• Most of us who drive on a daily basis for employment, education, daily
errands, and other reasons have a significant impact on road networks
and traffic.
• Congested traffic is a major hindrance to a country's growth. There is
significant traffic congestion on the roads as a result of population
development and the increased use of motor vehicles. The basic cause of
traffic congestion is the growth of people and automobiles, as well as the
migration of rural residents to urban areas in search of better possibilities.
There are two forms of traffic congestion: recurring and non-recurring.
Recurring traffic congestion is caused by accidents, construction, or
emergencies. Non-recurring traffic congestion is caused by accidents,
construction, or emergencies. The road users' important working hours are
being squandered, which has a further negative impact.
• Accessibility and mobility are also impacted by traffic congestion.
Congestion increases travel time and fuel costs, which has a negative
impact on businesses and employees who distribute goods and services.
The term "traffic congestion" refers to when traffic demand exceeds the
capacity of a road.
• Traffic congestion causes severe air pollution and noise pollution, which
aggravates the entire environment. The majority of the researchers
advocated for congestion pricing as a means of reducing traffic congestion.
 The cost of fuel, the expense of transportation, health-related issues, and
environmental issues can all be attributed to traffic congestion.

Goals and hypothesis

The current traffic framework is inadequate to encounter the traffic demand due
to an exponential increase in population as well vehicle. This research goal is to
ensure the traffic congestion impacts of the urban road network of a city in India
and how it impacts daily routines of the working population. Congestion indices
have been evaluated to examine the buffer time required to reduce the impact of
congestion on travellers. Explores in understanding the infrastructure of the
roads in Kannur city, which is located at the north part of Kerala State,
addressing social concerns faced due to traffic congestion and bad road
networking systems. Identified congested road and focuses on how traffic
impacts one’s daily routine; how much it affects psychologically and physically.
listing out how current road system also impacts on the air quality of the city
which again come hand in hand with respect to how it affects people’s health.

Methods
The method followed in doing this dissertation follows
1) Understanding the current infrastructure for roads in Kannur city
2) Map scanning: Understanding the connectivity at the Kannur junction that
causes congestion on the highway
3) Data collection:
• number of different types of vehicles
• traffic count during the peak hours
4) Calculating the pcu of Kannur traffic congestion with the data collected
and comparing it to the IRC standard

5) Calculation of congestion indices: overall performance

of the urban roadway and calculating planning time index taking 2 most
congested roads
6) Collecting data on how congestion impacts people’s health, psychological
aspect and financially by conducting an online survey
7) Draw analysis of how much impact traffic congestion has on people’s daily
routine
 8) Concluding research with linking literature with the analysis and giving
precautionary methods people can follow to avoid maximum difficult
traffic congestion causes
9) Suggesting design solutions for mitigating traffic congestion with IRC
standards and Kannur context
10) Governments take on mitigating the traffic congestion

Kannur junction from puthiyatharu https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kannur_(State_Assembl

y_constituency)

Results (data and observations)

The literature review is done on a city in Kerala, India called Kannur. Kannur
district is one of the 14 districts in the state of Kerala, India, situated northern
part of Kerala. The town of Kannur is the district headquarters and gives the
district its name. Kannur district is bounded by the western ghats, which form
the Karnataka state. The Arabian sea lies to the west. Kannur is the most
urbanized district in Kerala, with more than 50% of its residents living in urban
areas.
Kannur has an urban population of 12,12,898 which is the second largest in
Kerala.
Road infrastructure
Roadways between puthiyatheru to melechovva is two lane two ways comprising
11.0m asphalt carriage ways and 2.0m sidewalks on each side on some roads (not
all). Based on the IRC standard in above table the PCUs per hour for two-lane
two-way carriage ways is 1500, however, the existing volume based on the
survey is 3520 between 2 lanes from melechovva to Kannur junction and 5236
between puthiyatharu and Kannur junction which is almost 3 times the road
capacity
The west coast road from mahe to talapady is the backbone of the road system in
the Kannur district. This is part of the national highway NH 66. The length of
public works department roads in the Kannur district is 1421kms. The asphalt
topped roads have a length of 1061 km. There are 6848km panchayat roads. The
length of the national highway in the district is 80.5kms.
The roads that join this national highway approaching Kannur are the most
congested.
Populus

The Kannur city region has a total population of 1,640,986 people. It has a male
population of 755,764 and a female population of 885,222. Kannur Municipality
is responsible for around 11,418 dwellings.
Work or business activity was carried out by 15,324 people out of the total
population.
Kannur Municipality is responsible for around 11,418 dwellings.
Work or business activity was carried out by 15,324 people out of the total
population.
Males made up 12,424 of the total, while females made up 2,900.
A worker is defined as a person who engages in business, job, service, cultivator,
or labour activity in a census survey. 91.18 percent of the whole 15324 working
population was employed in Main Work, while 8.82 percent were employed in
Marginal Work. (According to the most recent census)
Kannur's typical working hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
During morning rush hour (from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.) and off-peak hours, a
traffic volume count was conducted (from 2.00 P.M. to 3.00 P.M.)

NH 66 puthiyatharu to Kannur junction

Passenger car unit comparison

Roadways between puthiyatheru to melechovva is two lane two ways comprising
12.0m asphalt carriage ways and 2.0m side walks on each side. Based on the IRC
standard in above table the PCUs per hour for two lane two way carriage ways is
1500, however, the existing volume based on the survey is 3520 between 2 lanes
from melechovva to Kannur junction and 5236 between puthiyatharu and
Kannur junction which is almost 3 times the road capacity

Congestion indices analysis

For a user to travel from puthiyatharu to Kannur they should consider 19 mins
extra to ensure on time arrival on 95th percentile travel time
For a user to travel from melechovva to Kannur they should consider 21.5mins
extra to ensure on time arrival on 95th percentile travel time
In doing this planning the travellers can avoid stress and plan their day
accordingly

Impacts of traffic congestion

The volume of traffic not only causes congestion, but also causes a slew of other
problems. Air pollution and sound pollution are two important challenges that
have recently reached dangerous levels. It impacts not only those who are
driving, but also those who are staying at home. Senior folks and children are
suffering greatly as a result of these challenges.
Traffic congestion, as well as the stress that comes with dealing with it on a daily
basis, has been linked to lower levels of happiness among urban residents.
According to a 2004 multilevel study published in the journal Social Science and
Medicine, people who live in high-traffic locations had higher depressed
symptoms, which experts believe stem from the unpredictability of traffic and
the sense of powerlessness it evokes.
Traffic-related stress isn't limited to people's emotions while stopped in traffic; it
may often flow over into other aspects of life, exacerbating other pressures. Long
commutes to and from work, for example, according to study from the University
of the West of England, lower job and life satisfaction, which exacerbates mental
health problems.
People are compelled to spend more time on the road due to traffic congestion,
which has a direct impact on their health. Congestion has a negative influence
on one's health, which should not be overlooked. The information was gathered
from the above-mentioned sources in order to investigate the influence of traffic
congestion on health-related concerns. According to the data obtained, 81 percent
of people are harmed by traffic congestion, while 16 percent say their health is
unaffected by traffic congestion and 3 percent say they have no convincing
answer
The symptoms of suffering were classified in various ways in the study, including
respiratory complications, neuralgia-related difficulties, psychological distress,
hearing difficulties, unpredicted sweating, fatigue, suffocation, dust allergy,
visibility difficulties, digestion problems, and dehydration.
According to the findings, the bulk of the pain is caused by breathing (20%),
headache (18%), mental tension (16%), and perspiration (15%), all of which are
deemed high-level distresses. Hearing loss (8%), fatigue (10%), and dust allergies
(6%), on the other hand, are deemed somewhat distressing. Suffocation (3%) is
the lowest amount of anguish, followed by eye problems (3%) and other issues
such as digestive problems, dehydration, and so on.
Due to traffic congestion, people are compelled to waste money in a variety of
ways, including wasted man hours, additional transportation costs, increased
fuel consumption, car running and maintenance costs, and a variety of other
costs. The study discovered that travellers waste 50% of their traffic hourly
throughout their route. For example, if a traveller requires 1 hour for a journey
during off peak hours, the same length of road will take 1.30 hours during peak
hours. They may convert the additional time into valuable working hours, which
will help the economy as a whole.
At a cognitive level, a sensation of loss of control, helplessness, and a low
tolerance for annoyance reduces one's response inhibitive capacity, causing them
to do whatever comes to mind at the time, perhaps intensifying the stress.
• Conflicts at home/work/elsewhere which are carried onto the road
• Quarrels that occur on the road
• Rash behaviour because of traffic congestion

This stress may often be carried home, where the person who is stressed may
misdirect their anger towards their spouse or children. This could form a vicious
cycle and in turn result in road rage or rash driving the next time they commute
or are stuck in a traffic jam.
Sunny Joseph, Clinical Psychologist at Manipal Hospital

Same traffic, different perceptions

It is frequently observed that different persons experience the same quantity of
traffic in various ways. Personality traits and environmental circumstances may
have a role in a person's stress perception. People who are conscientious about
time management, perfectionism, and juggling many tasks at once are more
likely to find the traffic situation unpleasant.

How does traffic congestion and noise affect a person?

Most of us strive to stick to a routine for ourselves. However, we seldom consider
the prospect of traffic gridlock. When we're on the road, we often feel out of
control and powerless. Simultaneously, if one is engaged with ideas and is
confronted with honking, traffic, pressure, or overstimulation, one is compelled
to operate at a higher level than is appropriate, which alters the way the body
experiences things.
Traffic congestion and air quality post covid
Kannur has the most polluted air in Kerala. As part of its continuous aim to
minimise air pollution, the State Pollution Control Board (PCB) is now
monitoring ambient air quality at 30 sites.
Air quality appeared to increase during the COVID-19 pandemic-induced
lockdown. The amounts of nitrogen oxide and nitrogen dioxide were reduced by
61% and 71%, respectively. PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations were found to have
decreased by 61% and 53%, respectively. This was mostly due to a lack of traffic
on the then-empty highways, as well as the absence of some companies
contaminating the atmosphere with their emissions.
High levels of air pollution might result in immediate issues such as worsening
cardiovascular and respiratory illnesses. Pollution puts a strain on the heart and
lungs, forcing them to work harder to provide the right quantity of oxygen to the
body. The cells of the respiratory system are delicate and readily injured.
If the degree of exposure is maintained for a longer length of time, the lungs will
age more quickly, resulting in a loss of lung capacity and, as a result, a reduction
in function. Asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, and perhaps cancer occur as a
result of these conditions. This may result in a shorter lifetime.
Naturally, some people are more sensitive to bad air quality than others. Those
with pre-existing respiratory issues will be among the first to be affected. When
exposed, pregnant women, old individuals, and children under the age of 14
should take particular precautions. Those who must work outside or who
exercise outside will need to be more conscious of the situation.

Case study
An online survey was conducted in order to get a deeper insight on how traffic
congestion affect people physically, mentally and economically
A sample size of 100
A random sampling household survey will be taken in Kannur city to collect data
for this research on 27th October 2021 . The data is collected via google forms
through social media. General crowd of Kannur of all age groups are will be able
to participate in this survey. The form have been distributed all over the city.
Highway from phuthiyatharu and highway from Thalasseri.
The survey questionnaire is divided into 5 parts according to the objectives
followed
 First part is gathering general information about the person then moving into
the psychological, health and financial impact traffic congestion causes and
ending the survey by asking their personal experience.
Below attached are the gathered data

age: gender:

Employment status: Time of travel:

Household status timings

Location of destiny Origin of travel

Time spent on traffic congestion

Purpose of travel
Mode of transport
Table 1: psychological impact traffic congestion has on people, all the data are in
percentile
x axis: age group y axis: impacts

Table 2: health impact traffic congestion has on people, all the data are in percentile
x axis: age group y axis: impacts
Table 3: financial impact traffic congestion has on people, all the data are in percentile
x axis: age group y axis: impacts

Summary analysis
Through my survey the clarity of traffic congestion having a major impact on
people is proven. People spend 25-30mins in traffic to reach from A to B
88.4% of the people are bothered by the time that has been spent on traffic
The above tables gives us an insight in depth how it affect their daily routine
Table 1:
20 and below – all students; 7% fun and leisure activities, 1% working, 3% spend
time with their family, 1% recreational and hobbies.
6% feels tired, 1% sweaty on their way
And when they come back home 5% feel tired, 1% sweaty, 1% drowsy
Main personal issue faced were not being able to reach school on time
20-45 – majority working; 54% fun and leisure activities, 10% hobbies or
recreation, 33% spend time with their family, 3% working
17% accepted that they overspeed to reach their destination and on their way,
12% overspeed regardless the preplanning, 50% feels tired, 5% sweaty, 6%
drowsy, 45% unable to concentrate
On their way back home; 56% tired, 2% sweaty, 5% drowsy, 8% unable to
concentrate
The traffic congestion impacts their decision making 66%
9% alter their current plan, 14% avoid the road, 14% cancel their plans
Main personal issue faced were not able to attend events, missing train etc

45-55 – 3% fun and leisure activities, 9% spend time with their family, 1% work,
1% hobbies and recreational
67% preplan their travel
56% tired,2% sweaty, 1% drowsy, 2% unable to concentrate on their way to the
destination
62% tired, 1% sweaty, 1% drowsy, 1% unable to concentrate on their way back
home
Traffic congestion impact decision making 63%
9% avoid the road, 3% alter current plans

psychological aspect

tired sweaty unable to concentrate anxiety drowsy

Table 2:
20 and below – 7% dust allergy, 5% headache, 2% constipation, 7% ear irritation,
8% dehydrated, 7% frustrated
20-45 – 4% dust allergy, 5% headache, 5% constipation, 8% lethargic, 29% ear
irritation, 63% dehydration, 11% anxiety, 21% frustrated
45-55 – 6% durst allergy, 14% headache, 2% constipation, 8% ear irritation, 3%
dehydration, 6% frustrated

health aspect

dust allergy headache constipation ear irritation

dehydration frustration lethargic

Table 3:
20-45 – 53% own private vehicles, 15% of the people who took the survey use
public transport
3% says 0-5% of their income goes into fuel, 9% says 5-10% of their income goes
into fuel, 29% says 10-20% of income goes into fuel
57% agree that their vehicle expense is directly proportional to the traffic
congestion
49% says that 0-5% of their income goes into paying for public transport, 17%
says that 5-10% of their income goes into public transport
45-55 – 16% own private vehicles, 1% public transport
6% 0-5% of their income goes into fuel, 4% - 5-10%, 3% 10-20%, 3% 20-30%
9% agree their vehicle expense is directly proportional to traffic congestion
23% public transport take more than 10% of the income, 8% - 0-5%
 financial aspect (private vehicles)

0-5% 5-10% 10-20% 20-30%

financial aspect

affect income doesn’t affect income

finacial aspect (public vehicles)

0-5% 5-10% more than 10%

Conclusion
The research ends as I discuss the primary societal difficulties that traffic
congestion causes Kannur residents in their daily lives. My analysis
demonstrates that traffic congestion has society issues, similar to what is
highlighted in the literature study; therefore, in alleviating traffic congestion, it
is critical to ensure that it is in the people's best interests to ease societal
worries.
• Creating a safe barrier between the walkways and the main traffic.
• Providing an adequate passenger waiting space for public transportation and
drop-off place for private cars to eliminate random vehicle stops on the road.
• Planting additional trees and enhancing vegetation on both sides of the road.
• Water vending facilities along the roadside
• Bus and heavy truck alternate routes
• Putting up signs on the road about speed, congestion, and other issues

The PCU and congestion indices study furnishes the following reasons for the
traffic congestions of NH66 approaching to Kannur junction
• As per the IRC standard the PCU for two way two lane arterial road is
1500 however my study reveals the PCU for NH66 from puthiyatheru to
Kannur junction and melechovva to Kannur junction are 5236 AND 3520
respectively, this contribute major reason to the traffic congestion
• The current NH66 doesn’t have a bonafide service road, it has a katcha
sideways in front of the commercial buildings which is prone to accidental
zone
• People park their vehicles on street near the commercial spaces
• Pedestrians use the same 2m katcha walkway and cycles are rode on the
same road, few of the roads don’t even have any walkway
• Traffic congestion is at peak during 8am-10am according survey conducted
• Commercial heavy vehicles has access to the road 24/7 which increases the
• volume and pollution
NH 66 puthiyatharu to Kannur junction

The following mitigation methods maybe adopted for minimizing the traffic
Congestion
• According to the IRC, the width of the roadway should be extended from
16 to 60 metres, resulting in a six-lane two-way highway with a capacity of
5400 PCU per hour and unfettered vehicle movement.
• Because the commercial plots are close to the major road, an alternate
route should be examined; otherwise, a new road, flyover, or underpass
should be proposed to alleviate traffic congestion.
• constructing a two-way service road and limiting car parking on the street
in favour of off-street parking near business spots
• Pedestrian and bicycle facilities should be provided; suitable paved
pathways should be constructed. through appropriate road marking,
education and publicity
• Staggering work hours would reduce the number of vehicles during peak
hours which leads to less congesting and improving the lifestyle of people
of Kannur

The proposed Kannur and Thalassery-Mahe bypasses, as well as the 82-

kilometer Kannur-Vengalam stretch. The issue over the 60-meter standard
width of NHs, which the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) decreased
to 45 metres because the highways in the State travel through heavily populated
regions, had previously hampered property purchase operations. An all-party
meeting later backed the NHAI's request for a 45-meter width.
P.A. Mohamed Riyas, Minister of Public Works and Tourism has taken steps to
alleviate traffic congestion in Kannur.
The Kannur city road upgrade project, which includes a recently planned
underpass and the Kannur flyover at Kannur junction, would be prioritised.
Kannur, according to the Minister, is a district with enormous tourism potential.
As a result, congestion mitigation is a must for the city's expansion.

New Roads in Kannur to mitigate traffic congestion

• A new flyover is proposed at the Kannur junction, covering 1039 metres from
Thekki Bazar (puthiyatheru – Kannur road) to training school (Kannur-
tellichery road), which would relieve traffic congestion at the junction round-
about.
• A bicycle track is planned in the town, which will help the people to avoid
private vehicles for the ride in town

• An underpass is planned between Melechovva – tellichery road.

The root of the urban transportation dilemma is traffic congestion. As a result,

the number of travels, journey duration, travel expense, mental anguish, and
accessibility have all grown. The analysis provided a better understanding of
how to proceed with developing solutions for the government's ongoing
infrastructure initiatives.

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