Take Diversion is a series by TNM that closely tracks the plight of roads in Chennai city and suburbs. If you have a story to share, write to us email@thenewsminute.com. We will ensure that your story reaches the authorities.
If you’re driving down Royapettah High Road flyover from Luz corner in Chennai, the five-road junction you’ll have to pass on your way to Express Avenue is a scene of utter chaos. This junction that connects the Avvai Shanmugam Salai, the narrow Royapettah High Road and a diagonally branching off Masilamani Road, has no traffic signal or cop to regulate the vehicles most of the time.
Therefore, the vehicles that reach this junction will have to negotiate their way through on their own. Ironically, there’s a police booth on one corner that overlooks this junction that was empty at the time of this reporter’s visit.
Padmanabhan, a delivery agent who is on his way to Mylapore, parks his bike outside a tea shop on one corner of the road. Does he think this unregulated junction is dangerous? “It can be confusing for someone who is driving through this area for the first time. Others who are familiar, will know how to drive across,” he tells us.
But, most often, familiarity is of little help on the roads. Rajashekar, who is a resident of Lloyds road, frequents the road since his place of work is closer to the junction. He points out the dangers of an unmanned junction such as this.
“Sometimes people coming from Mylapore side, since they are coming down from the bridge, tend to drive fast and this can be dangerous at this junction. Last month, there was a small accident between an MTC bus and a car. Such things are frequent here,” he adds as a matter of fact.
As for pedestrians who are trying to get from point to another, this junction can be a nightmare, as witnessed by this reporter. Interestingly, the AIADMK head office is just a few meters from this junction. The junction is also a bus route road.
Ramamoorthy, an auto driver from the area who has parked his vehicle opposite the junction, suggests that a traffic signal or the presence of a traffic cop will help avoid accidents in the area. “Very rarely, a traffic policeman stands here. Most often, people weave their way through this junction. There are also schools nearby, so the police will have to make sure this junction is safe.”
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