CHENNAI: The National Highways Authority of India will soon install lights in 15 accident-prone zones on the Chennai Bypass but regular commuters claim the entire stretch requires lighting to ward off anti-social elements who waylay two-wheelers during the wee hours.
The NHAI’s decision comes after 53 deaths from 195 accidents were recorded on the stretch between January 2016 and July 2017. But it is yet to take into consideration the prevalence of crime in the 32-kilometre stretch between Perungalathur and Madhavaram.
“My aunt and uncle were waylaid near Porur in 2014 after midnight and they weren’t able to identify the assailants because there were no lights on the stretch,” said K Abhishek Kumar, a resident of Santhoshapuram, claiming they were relieved of all the cash they were carrying.
Four years on, the situation hasn’t changed. “Two youth on a bike stopped me after I crossed the Ambattur Industrial Estate exit and asked me for money. I refused to give them and luckily they sped off,” said Roger Louis, a sound engineer, claiming the absence of lights, limited exits and U-turns provide easy escapes to the faceless assailants.
While police patrols on the stretch claim that crime is on the decline, victims claim that most waylaying attempts go unreported. “We have one patrol jeep along the Perungalathur-Porur Stretch and one patrol jeep on the Porur-Madhavaram stretch,” said a police officer, conceding the absence of U-turns limits number of patrols they can take.
When contacted, the NHAI said that steps will be taken to light up the entire stretch in the coming year. “We have sent a proposal to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways to fix lights on the entire stretch. We have installed 25 lights near Irumbuliyur and Porur to test the capacities,” said a senior official in the NHAI.