COIMBATORE: Street lights on the Mettupalayam road between Saibaba Colony junction and Thudiyalur junction have been on the blink for the last few weeks, putting motorists at risk.
Two flyovers have been built on Mettupalayam Road, which is a National Highway - at Kavundampalayam and GN Mills junctions - and two more are planned at Saibaba temple and Thudiyalur junctions. The 6-km stretch between Saibaba temple and Thudiyalur junction is shrouded in darkness and motorists criticised the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) for not acting on their complaints.
“Only very few street lights are functioning properly on the Mettupalayam Road. The majority of the streetlights between the Saibaba Temple and Thudiyalur junctions don’t function and motorists are put to inconvenience. The maintenance of streetlights in the city is a major concern and despite numerous complaints, the CCMC is yet to take any action,” said G Balaji, a resident of Thudiyalur.
Another motorist, M Radhakrishnan from Vellakinar told TNIE, “Apart from the streetlights in the stretch, the ones on the two flyovers which were recently inaugurated are also not in working condition. As a result, many illegal activities happen regularly on the stretch. The civic body which is responsible for fixing these streetlights must fix the issue before a major accident or loss of life happens.” Locals added that CCMC must act swiftly as fog reduces visibility to a great extent.
CCMC commissioner M Sivaguru Prabakaran without revealing anything in particular about the issue, said he would look into the problem.