'Better lighting, police presence needed at Vytilla Hub'

Kochi: Vyttila Vikasana Samithi, a volunteer organization, has written to the city police highlighting the need for better lighting and police presence near Vyttila Hub after an incident of a woman facing harassment in the area came to their attention.

According to TN Prathapan, secretary of the outfit, he came across a woman on Monday morning who said that someone hit her. "Around 5:15am, a young woman approached me in front of the Metro station at Vyttila. She said someone had hit her between the Water Metro and Metro rail station and fled. I had seen someone walking quickly and assumed that person to be in a hurry for some urgent matter, so I didn't pay much attention. After that, the woman went to the Mobility Hub in Vyttila and informed two of the security personnel there. From what I understand, she was there for a long-distance journey and didn't want to file a police complaint since it would affect her plans," he said, adding that he had written to Maradu police about it.

The primary reason for such incidents at Vyttila was the lack of proper lighting and continued police presence, said Prathapan. "Many regions of Vyttila are still poorly lit. At the Hub, there is no proper lighting either in the bus bay area or the entry and exit roads," he said.