Kochi IT fraternity launches campaign for road safety as speeding bus kills colleague

Fraternity of professionals based at Infopark, Kochi, have launched a multi-pronged campaign to ensure traffic safety in the vicinity of the campus following a recent accident in which a young IT professional was killed.

A digital signature campaign launched by Progressive Techies, a collective of IT professionals in the State, has already garnered over 4,000 signatures within a day. The group is also exploring legal remedies to address the frequent traffic woes in the area, which pose a serious safety threat to commuters and pedestrians alike.

The fresh round of campaigning was triggered by the death of Akshara A., 28, a senior consultant with EY. She was fatally knocked down by an allegedly speeding bus while walking home after a gym session at IMG Junction, Kakkanad, on Wednesday.

Employees of various companies held a candlelit vigil at Infopark on Thursday evening to honour Akshara’s memory.

“The major demand of our campaign is to evict encroachments along the stretch of road from IMG Junction to Infopark Road and make it safe for motorists and pedestrians. The stretch often remains so congested that there is not enough space for pedestrians. We are targeting at least 20,000 signatures for our campaign, and once we achieve this, we will forward our complaint to the authorities, including the District Collector, Chief Minister and Public Works Minister,” Anish Panthalani, co-founder of Progressive Techies, said.

He said the situation was similar on most of the arterial roads around Infopark, covering areas such as Pallikkara and Edachira, which are frequently used by tech professionals. “The possibility of filing a public interest litigation seeking a permanent solution is also being explored,” he said.

Mr. Panthalani said IT professionals had frequently met with accidents on roads around the tech campus due to various factors, including the stray dog menace.

The All India Professionals’ Congress (AIPC) Infopark chapter has also launched a campaign following Akshara’s death. The chapter will hold a ‘Listening Circle’ on the campus on Friday evening, allowing employees to share their traffic safety concerns.

“AIPC has brought the safety concerns to the attention of the Home Minister and Transport Minister and sought strict action against the erring driver in the fatal accident,” Eldho Chirackalchalil, district president of AIPC, said.