CHENNAI: It was around 11 o’clock on a hot Tuesday morning, when P Anand cautiously walked past the oncoming traffic on the Sardar Patel Road in Adyar and put his legs over the nearly two feet high median.
The bank employee takes a daily bus to and from Madipakkam from the Adyar gate bus stop. To access that bus stop located on the other side, he has to climb over the median. While he is young and agile, for senior citizens like 80-year-old R Krishnan, who occasionally uses public transport, climbing the median is nearly impossible.
“The other alternative is to walk all the way to the Ambika Appalam depot signal or the Adyar signal under the flyover, and then come to the bus stop,” rues Krishnan.
Like Anand, there were several individuals whom City Express caught climbing the median to reach the other side. They want the local civic authorities to put up a pedestrian crossing near that spot, to avoid the potentially hazardous climb over the median.
There was earlier a small opening in the median which helped people cross the road but is now blocked with stones. A traffic policeman explained, “The gap was closed as it was a likely spot for accidents, with motorcyclists taking an unauthorised turn there. The traffic on this stretch, which also sees fast-moving vehicles from the Adyar flyover joining it, is huge. Hence it is best that the gap in the median remains plugged.”
However, local residents say a provision could be made for a pedestrian crossing even while keeping out the motorcycles. “They could create a small opening for walkers and then raise the ground level so that vehicles cannot turn,” suggests Anand. Sounds like a good idea…is anyone listening?