Unregulated parking adds to traffic congestion

Some of the arterial roads in the city have been facing severe traffic congestion over the past few days giving a torrid time to motorists.

The Chinthamani Anna Statue Junction, Chathram Bus Stand Kamarajar roundabout, the Main Guard Gate Junction, West Boulevard Road, the Karur By-pass Road and Shastri Road have been the worst affected as festival shoppers throng the commercial areas of the city. The problem has aggravated by the unregulated parking along the Shastri Road and Karur By-pass Road and poor enforcement.

Bumper-to-bumper traffic is common sight between the Cauvery bridge signal and the Chinthamani Anna Statue, the Karur By-pass Road and West Boulevard Road these days. The few policemen on duty struggle to regulate the traffic.

A harried traffic cop at the Cauvery bridge traffic signal on Friday afternoon could do little but to advise a few motorists to take diversion via East Boulevard Road as Chinthamani Junction was witnessing severe congestion since morning.

Although the police had notified temporary parking areas during the festival season for shoppers visiting the city’s main bazaar around NSB Road and had banned parking in other places, no regulation has been announced for the Thillai Nagar area.

The Shastri Road which runs parallel to the Thillai Nagar Main Road has in recent years emerged as a commercial destination with the opening of a clutch of textile showrooms, a few hospitals and hotels.

Typically, most of the buildings housing the commercial establishments do not have designated parking space. Consequently, shoppers park their vehicles along the road obstructing traffic.

“The Shastri Road attracts heavy traffic now as all mofussil buses and other heavy vehicles, entering and exiting the city, have to go via the road and Anna Nagar Link Road. The police should pay extra attention to ensure smooth flow of traffic on the road,” said Ashok, a city resident.

There has been frequent traffic pile up on the Karur By-pass Road due to insufficient time given at the Salai Road junction traffic signal and there has been no attempt to ease the congestion, he regretted.

A team of traffic policemen are spotted quite often at the Salai Road Junction booking motorists riding without helmets, but they remain oblivious to the chaotic traffic conditions just few metres away on the Shastri Road and the Karur By-pass Road, rued a local resident.

Residents of Thillai Nagar have been crying hoarse over the unregulated parking on the cross roads. People visiting shops and commercial establishments along the Thillai Nagar Main Road park their vehicles on the cross roads.

A doctor also regretted that a public address system used to make announcements at Salai Road Junction is often blaring through the day, much to the inconvenience of residents and patients at a nearby hospital.

Source