TIRUCHY: Growing instances of traffic snarl-ups paralysing the city during peak hours have prompted the Tiruchy city traffic police to initiate a slew of upgrades, including the installation of an automated traffic signal system with timer, near Sanjeev Nagar on Chennai-Madurai National Highway.
The traffic police have also closed the median near the SIT polytechnic college on Tiruchy-Thanjavur national highway and opened it a few metres in front. Earlier, the police had marked Sanjeev Nagar near Palpannai, Tiruchy, as a hotspot due to the increasing number of road accidents reported from the area. Barricades were put up.
The area witnesses a high footfall of vehicles, especially those headed towards Karur. Though the accident rate reduced courtesy of the slew of measures, peak-hour traffic snarl-ups, particularly on weekends, continued to plague the area, following which the traffic police set up an automated signal with timer last week. The facility, which would alleviate the traffic jams woes faced by commuters from Palpannai to Sanjeev Nagar, Chennai to Sanjeev and Sanjeev Nagar, will be put to use in a few days.
In another measure, the median near the SIT polytechnic college here - yet another hotspot for accidents - was closed; the median has been opened a few metres away. Lauding the police for their efforts, K Vadivel, an auto driver from Sanjeev Nagar, told TNIE, "The installation of the automatic traffic signal is appreciable since Sanjeev Nagar junction is a crossroad with heavy traffic.
The system would regulate traffic and the reckless movement of vehicles." C Ashokraj, a resident of Ariyamangalam, said, "Traffic jams and minor accidents have had been reported from the SIT college area. The fast movement of vehicles has always put the pedestrians on a spot.
We hope the traffic gets regulated with the closing of the median." When contacted, a senior police officer said, "Our aim is to alleviate road accidents. The automated traffic signal system is only a temporary solution, which, nonetheless, would prevent congestion. A vehicle underpass (VUP) is necessary here; we have already sent a proposal for this to the state government."
