The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Gateway to the city choked by traffic

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Sep 29, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Gateway to the city choked by traffic

By P. Oppili &
Dhanya Parthasarathy

CHENNAI, SEPT. 28. It is the gateway to the city from the south. But it is caught up in huge traffic snarls, especially during rush hour, both morning and evening, because of the lack of proper traffic regulation.

Besides road-users from the heavily populated southern suburbs, south-bound buses coming from Koyambedu start crowding the spot by 8 a.m. and again by 6.30 in the evening.

While motorists and two-wheeler riders from the southern suburbs have little choice but to pass through this stretch everyday, long distance buses halt on Jawaharlal Nehru Road, close to Kathipara junction.

Urban planners say this is the main reason for the traffic jams. They also point out that over the years the number of vehicles using the intersection has increased manifold.

Creating bus bays on Jawaharlal Nehru Road is the first necessity, they say. This will help reduce congestion at Kathipara to a great extent and ensure free traffic flow between Koyambedu and Tambaram.

Multi-level flyover

T. Anantha Rajan, Urban and Transport Planning consultant, suggests that the construction of a suitable multi-level flyover can help greatly. Under the Indian Road Congress Code, the desirable distance for a bus stop near an intersection is 65 metres. This means that the bus stops around the Kathipara junction have to be shifted, he adds.

A senior police officer says that a detailed traffic study on the origin and destination of vehicles at the intersection needs to be taken up. Similarly, reducing the circumference of the massive roundabout (that holds the Jawaharlal Nehru statue) can help traffic flow.

"It's one big pain," says a doctor who has a clinic in Guindy. For about 2.5 kms till Kathipara, the GST Road has no U turns, no pedestrian crossings and no policeman to regulate traffic.

It's a situation of permanent chaos, he says. The elderly and disabled pedestrians on the road are the worst affected, he adds.

Residents say a U-turn near State Bank of India or Balaji Hospital will save the time, fuel and energy of road-users.

More than three decades ago, Chennai's planners were looking at three different bus terminals, one for south-bound buses, one for north-bound vehicles and another terminal for west-bound heavy vehicles. But it did not materialise, traffic experts note.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Tamil Nadu

News Update

Stories in this Section

Gateway to the city choked by traffic

Bio-diversity show at Neelankarai

Doctors told to pay up for shoddy service

Varsity's outreach programme takes education to 2.6 lakh students

Parties wrangle over bus shelter

`Horses' for courses approach to farming

Rs.2 lakhs for temple tank renovation

Around the City

In Chennai Today