Roadways

The network of roadways of a country is as essential as the arterial system to the human body.  The roads in a big way facilitate advancement in the economy of a country and they simultaneously facilitate communication. In the matter of surface transport, they are almost equal to the railways which connect other parts of the country through its large railway network system.  These two transports are not parallel but inter-dependent.

The Chennai-Kanyakumari Highway joins the Kanyakumari- Trivandrum road near Aralvoimozhi which passes through Nagercoil touching other important places and terminates at Trivandrum in Kerala State covering a distance of  62.4 km. from Aralvoimozhi to Kerala border.  The views on either side of this road can never fail to attract the travelers.

Tracing the history of a regular system of road communication in the Kanyakumari area it dates back to 1860 and the credit goes to Sir Madhava Rao, the then Dewan of Travancore-Cochin State.  The work part of it was executed by the Engineering Department which was set up during his period.  However, these roads were primarily intended for the movement of troops, but in the days to come it accommodated civilian traffic also.  During the rule of Rama Varma (1758-98 A.D.) a good road was laid between Kanyakumari-Kodungalaur (Crangalur).

  Road Transport Services 

Roads play a vital part in economic development, opening up remote areas, stimulating the growth of agriculture as well as industry, besides facilitating communication.  As an essential element of the transport infrastructure, they contribute, along with the railways, the nation’s lifeline.

The road network in Kanyakumari district consists of National highways, State highways, District roads and rural roads.  The trunk road from Madras to Nagercoil joins the Kanyakumari – Trivandrum road near Aralvoimozhi and passes through important places over a distance of 62.4 Km. and finally enters Kerala State.  The road from Kanyakumari to Trivandrum is one of the busiest roads in the country.   The erstwhile State of Travancore-Cochin adopted a policy of nationalization of transport and as a result the Transport Department was formed in the state in  1938.  Routes between Trivandrum and Kanyakumari (Via) Nagercoil and Colachel were the first to be taken up for nationalization.  After the reorganization of States in 1956, the bus transport service in Kanyakumari district was taken over by the State Transport Department of the then Madras State.

The important private bus operators in the district during 1960’s were Messrs. Pioneer Motors (P) Limited, P.T.S. Motor Service and Sri Ganapathy Motor Service at Nagercoil and Messrs. R.K.V. Motors and Timbers (P) Limited and P.C. Motor Service at Marthandam.  For the purpose of providing an efficient, adequate and coordinated road transport service, the State Government decided to nationalize certain classes of routes in 1967 which resulted in the nationalization of the following routes in the district:

1.  Mettukadai             to            Martandam                   (1967)

2.  Martandam             to            Thiruparappu               (1967)

3.  Nagercoil                to            Colachel                       (1967)

4.  Martandam             to            Kaliyal                          (1967)

5.  Thuckalay               to            Thiruvarambu               (1967)

6.  Nagercoil                to            Kurumbanai                 (1967)

7.  Martandam              to            Alancholai                    (1968) 

8.  Thuckalay               to            Kulasekharam               (1968)

9.  Nagercoil                to            Manakudy                      (1970)

10. Martandam             to            Thengapattinam            (1970)

     The district is well covered with bus transport facilities. Remote villages are also covered by 238 private mini buses. The Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (Madurai Division III) Ltd., Nagercoil is operating 632 routes with a fleet strength of 676 buses as indicated below.

                 LENGTH OF ROAD  (IN KILO METRES)                                                                    

Source: All Panchayat Unions & Municipalities, AD Town Panchayats, Nagercoil. DFO, Nagercoil, EE PWD State Highways  Nagercoil,  EE PWD National Highways  Nagercoil