The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : New traffic arrangement at Guindy welcomed

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Aug 17, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

New traffic arrangement at Guindy welcomed

R. Srikanth

No congestion at Halda junction of Sardar Patel Road, Anna Salai

CHENNAI : The new traffic arrangement, which came into force from August 5 at Halda junction in Guindy has met with a positive response from people.

A cross-section of road users say the new arrangement has eased movement of traffic at the Halda junction of Sardar Patel Road and Anna Salai. The diversion at Halda junction has also resulted in free flow of traffic at the Velachery-Checkpost junction, a junction 2.5 km from Halda junction and prone to traffic chaos.

S. Anand, a resident of Velachery and working in Teynampet, points out that diversion of vehicles through Five Furlong Road has had a visible effect as there is free flow of traffic and is turning out to be a shorter route to reach Anna Salai.

Unintended benefit

T. Gunaseelan, resident of Ambattur and employee of a private company in Velachery, said the diversion of traffic through Five Furlong Road has resulted in an "unintended benefit" -- people getting access to Guindy Railway Station. He said the diversion has created inter-modal connectivity and opened up a number of travel options for the public.

The Velachery Main Road is the main gateway for vehicles coming from Velachery and the suburbs. Previously vehicles going towards Guindy, Anna Salai, Adyar and Kotturpuram got jammed at the junction of Velachery Main Road and Sardar Patel Road, with vehicles bound for Saidapet and beyond again getting stuck at the junction of Sardar Patel Road and Anna Salai, popularly called Halda junction. The heavy vehicle movement from Velachery Main Road via Sardar Patel Road too contributed to the traffic jam at the Halda Junction.

In view of this, the Traffic Police decided to go in for a new arrangement. The system was to divert vehicles plying on Velachery Main Road and bound for Saidapet and beyond through Five Furlong Road and banning of right turn at Halda junction to avoid traffic jam.

Though there is appreciation at the diversion of traffic through Five Furlong Road, Mr. Anand states that parking of heavy vehicles on the wrong side of the road during peak hours impedes the movement of vehicles. Also the Police authorities should install speed breakers in front of the Corporation school to prevent mishap, he added.

While people traversing through Five Furlong Road are happy at the new arrangement, there seems to be no solution in sight for pileup of vehicles, bound for Adyar and beyond, at the junction of Sardar Patel Road and Velachery Main Road.

Diversion

S. Arumugam, a resident of Velachery, says that as a large number of vehicles have been diverted through Five Furlong Road, the Traffic authorities can increase the automatic timer of the signal for vehicles plying towards Raj Bhavan to reduce the traffic jam. The Chennai Corporation's electricity substation also obstructs the flow of traffic, he adds.

Road users suggest that the Southern Railway should speed up the construction of Mass Rapid Transit System as this will help bring down vehicles plying on the road and pave the way for a large number of people shifting to rail mode.

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