The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : t’s time for long-term plan for better traffic management

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Saturday, Aug 16, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

t’s time for long-term plan for better traffic management

Law enforcers are bracing up for the challenge of checking traffic congestion, writes R. Rajaram

—Photo: R. Ashok

UTTER CHAOS: A traffic snarl at Vazhaikai Mandi in Gandhi Market, Tiruchi.

Increasing pressure on existing road space in the city caused by the burgeoning vehicle population calls for a long-term plan on the part of official machinery for managing traffic better.

The number of vehicles is only going to swell further in future owing to mushrooming residential localities on the city’s outskirts; future developments of Information Technology Park, a Central institution and airport expansion.

Law enforcers who undertake periodic measures for traffic management are bracing up for the challenge of checking congestion and accident rate in the city. On an average, 1,000 to 1,200 new vehicles get registered in the Tiruchi Regional Transport Office (RTO) every month.

The total number of vehicles registered and operating within the city has exceeded five lakh, according to Transport Department authorities.

Shrinking road space in certain vital stretches, haphazard parking of vehicles either on the pavements or on roadsides, encroachments on footpaths and its absence in many areas add to the traffic woes.

Pedestrians have been rendered vulnerable , particularly in places like Gandhi Market, Thillai Nagar Main Road, the stretch from Puthur Four Road to Thennur High Road, Madurai Road, and Main Guard Gate to Kamaraj Arch, where there are frequent traffic hold-ups.

Aged pedestrians find it extremely difficult to cross the roads at the ever-busy Chathiram and Central bus stands.

The road space will simply not be enough to accommodate the traffic, going by the current indications of vehicle additions.

Residents feel that it is time the official machinery woke up to the need for evolving a long-term action plan involving various departments and representatives of public forums, based on the ground realities.

Removal of encroachments on roadsides and on footpaths is a must to ensure free flow of traffic, residents insist.

Of the 12 places identified by the law enforcers for clearing encroachments, action has been taken on eight so far, official sources said.

The authorities concerned should widen the road wherever possible, by clearing the encroachments and seriously think of constructing subways in Chathiram and Central bus stands involving large movement of pedestrians.

Mini flyovers in places where it was feasible could also be explored, consumer organisations suggest, pointing to the bottlenecks on certain busy thoroughfares that call for urgent attention.

The key to success is to keep pace with the increased traffic by devising a concrete action plan for the next 10 to 20 years, says an industrialist who strongly favours setting up ring road around the city to cater to the booming traffic and eventually reduce congestion.

Police authorities say they are contemplating to conduct a study involving the National Institute of Technology, Tiruchi, on complete traffic planning and the requirement for the city that lies in the heart of the state.

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