CHENNAI : It is going to be hectic for motorists and traffic personnel at Thyagaraya road until the platforms are laid as part of the smart city project. With Thyagaraya road made one-way without any pre-announcement, officials say it is a pilot project and will be changed accordingly, if need be.“Everyday when I’m on duty, vehicles from GN Chetty road gain entry through the road in spite of the barricades being placed. We, the traffic personnel have become the announcement board, explaining to motorists that it is a one-way and explaining how to travel around the road,” said a police personnel at the end of Thyagaraya road near the Pondy Bazaar police station.
It is a similar situation where entry to the road from Sivagnanam street and Muthu Krishna Salai have been blocked. Police personnel have a hard time convincing the motorists, especially the vehicles that come to deliver goods to the shops at arterial roads connecting Thyagaraya road and Dr Nair junction.
Said R Albert Raja, a shop owner at Thyagaraya road, “The vehicles that want to enter Thyagaraya road have started to take one of the loneliest streets in this area. My godown is in the Deena Dayalu street and these vehicles pile up behind my van, honking to make way, which I can’t until the unloading is done. Now I have to wait until the peak hour is done and do it either in the night or early morning.”
An official attached to the corporation said that it was the shop owners who asked for the road to be made one way, since it will be easy for them to trade. But now after the work for the platform has started, they have different opinions among themselves.
“Most of them who asked the road to be made one-way, now say they do not want it. Even more, some people do not wish the platforms being extended for parking,” said another corporation official. Feeling disappointed about his business being hit hard, Rahul Chand, said that earlier vehicles were made to park on one side alone. “Now they have shrunk the road into one-third of the original width and the centre median which they removed, remains a bumpy ride, making it difficult to drive through,” he added.
‘Temporary move’
A senior police officer said that they have made it temporary and police personnel are strictly told not to encourage shop keepers or motorists who plead to go through the wrong way since their destination is just ahead.