The Hindu : Front Page : Traffic police find T. Nagar most chaotic

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Monday, Jun 15, 2009
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Traffic police find T. Nagar most chaotic

Petlee Peter

— Photo: S.S.Kumar

DIFFICULT TO REGULATE: Vehicles on a ‘No parking’ stretch on Nageswara Road.

CHENNAI: Increasing parking violations and traffic chaos at T Nagar, especially on Nageswara Road, have put the traffic police in a spot of late. According to them, nearly 200 cases of violation are registered per day around the shopping hub itself.

Tagged as the ‘most challenging’ locality for traffic regulation in the city, areas around Panagal Park have been experiencing heavy vehicular movement, especially during holidays and weekends. It is not uncommon to find neighbouring localities such as Pondy Bazaar or G.N.Chetty Road choked with vehicles, particularly during peak hours. Despite a total of 74 policemen being on duty per shift, new traffic arrangements and opening of the Usman Road flyover, the situation is chaotic, primarily due to unauthorised vehicle parking in the area, say police personnel.

Out of the 7,396 parking violation cases registered this year till May 2009, about 30 per cent were booked in T.Nagar.

According to M. Manohar, Deputy Commissioner of Police(Traffic), South, unregulated parking under the flyover is one of the main reasons for traffic congestion at the Nageswara Road-Usman Road junction. “The area beneath the flyover is packed with vehicles, especially two-wheelers, making vehicular movement very difficult through the service lane. Adding to the chaos are autorickshaws, hawkers and jaywalkers there,” he said.

Making the area under the flyover a ‘no parking’ zone by providing an alternative space exclusively for two-wheelers of shoppers would help, Mr. Manohar added.

A senior Corporation official said that an alternative parking area was feasible. “We are aware that the roads towards the shopping areas in T. Nagar witness heavy traffic especially during weekends. We will hold talks with traffic police,” he added.

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