DHARMAPURI: With the Dharmapuri Municipality taking steps to set up street lights along Siddha Veerpa Street and PR Sundaram Street in ward 23, traffic constraints along these roads has been increased. The residents also accused the local businesses of encroaching upon the roads and preventing traffic flow, urging the district administration and police to take action against illegal parking.
For the past 20 years, the area surrounding the Dharmapuri Old Bus Stand has been a key trade centre in the district. With numerous hospitals, textile shops, jewellery stores and other businesses located in the area, at least hundreds if not thousands of people throng the region on a daily basis.
Due to these businesses not having sufficient parking, the roads around shops are frequently encroached and traffic blockages are on the rise, according the residents. Now, with the municipality setting up street lights, the encroachments have worsened with a major portion of the roads occupied by businesses for parking, they added, urging the municipality and police to take action.
Speaking to TNIE, M Sundar, a business owner from Pidamineri, said, "Most of the businesses in and around the bus stand were set up 20 years ago, when they had no provisions for parking. Since then, the roads around the bus stand have been used for parking. As the number of vehicles increased, the traffic situation around the bus stand worsened. Now entire roads have been taken over. The lack of enforcement by the police, poor town planning and negligence from the municipality is the cause of the issue."
Another resident, N Selvagnapathy from SV Road, said, "While we welcome the street lights, the project has created problems for us. With a center median likely to be installed, where will people park their vehicles? The poor planning from the municipality is also an issue. As per data, there are over 660 businesses around the bus stand, and not one of these buildings have a parking space. So customers end up using the roads."
When TNIE reached out to municipality officials, they said, "There is no solution to the traffic problems around the old bus stand. There is a severe lack of space and we do not even know what to do. The street lights are part of an initiative to develop public amenities in the municipality. It is a necessity and Rs 32 lakh has already been sanctioned and works have begun. Yes, it has created traffic issues, but citizens must also take responsibility and not exacerbate them."
