Metro work grounds traffic in Chennai's Vadapalani
CHENNAI: To facilitate Metro rail work, traffic diversions are being implemented along stretches in and around Vadapalani. Though the move is aimed at ensuring seamless flow of traffic despite the construction work, it has only added to the chaos in the area, say regular motorists.
"We are so confused as to which is the one-way road and which is two-way. During peak hours, police regulate the traffic but otherwise, vehicles come from all sides, causing utter chaos," said B Manoj, a resident of Valasaravakkam.
With the ongoing work, huge mounds of sand block a part of the road. "When vehicles come on the wrong side of an already narrow road, they end up colliding. Moreover, numerous motorists skid and fall daily due to the sand. The situation must be brought under control before a major mishap happens," said J Raghavan, who owns a departmental store on Arcot Road.
According to new traffic rules, all heavy vehicles including MTC buses coming from Vadapalani towards Porur must turn left at the Arcot Road-Lakshmi Nagar 40 Feet Road junction and proceed via 40 Feet Road, 3rd Cross Street, 1st Main Road and Mount Poonamallee Avadi Road to reach Porur Junction. The stretch from Lakshmi Nagar 40 Feet Road to 1st Main Road has been made one-way.
"Motorists simply choose to go on the opposite side or travel on interior roads choking the residential localities. Last Friday, two speeding vehicles collided around 11:30 pm and one of the drivers sustained heavy injuries. Vehicles rarely ply on our street, and now it’s scary to even let our kids stand outside the house," said P Srinath, a resident of Gangappa Street.
Adding to the woes are the autos lined up outside a popular mall in Vadapalani - at no-parking zones - leading to serpentine queues of vehicles. When contacted, a traffic personnel working in the area said they regularly warn auto drivers.
"We keep clearing the autos but they always return. We have been trying our best to control traffic in peak hours. But it is also the responsibility of the public to follow traffic rules," he said.
Metro ridership swells to 47 lakh in May
CHENNAI: Chennai Metro is gaining popularity among the commuters with the ridership increasing from 45.46 lakh in the month of April to 47.87 lakh last month. On May 26 alone, a total of 1.91 lakh availed Metro services.
According to a release, a total of 11.58 lakh commuters availed QR code tickets while 28.64 lakh used travel cards. Meanwhile, 1.95 crore people availed Metro train services this year till the month of May.