Tamil Nadu - Erode   

Roads become death traps; travelling a nightmare

PHOTO: M. GOVARTHAN

Traffic in Erode town remains chaotic because of poor management and non enforcement of rules. –

ERODE: Haphazard parking of vehicles, signal-jumping, rash driving and a score of other traffic violations have made travelling on the arterial roads in Erode town unsafe leading to a number of accidents.

Police personnel in the town continue to register cases against vehicle users for flouting road rules. But the rules are being violated at an alarming rate.

Perundurai Main Road continues to be a nightmare for pedestrians and cyclists. “Over 12 persons died in the road accidents, including three school girls, on Perundurai road during the last eight months. We don't feel safe even to walk near the road,” A. Chinnusamy, a resident in Sakthi Nagar, said.

The situation on other important roads including EVN Road, Mettur Road, Sathyamangalam Road and Brough Road is no different. Two-wheeler riders park their vehicles occupying the pedestrian paths and a significant portion of road in many parts of the town. “A number of inner roads in the town are marked as one-way. But, it is not strictly implemented in the town for reasons best known to the officials,” S. Karthick, a resident in Periyar Nagar, points out.

Drivers of heavy vehicles particularly the private buses indulge in rash driving even during the peak hours. “A majority of the private bus drivers do not follow the rules. They indulge in rash driving, use air horns, stop at anywhere on the road and drive the bus as if they are in a racing game,” Murali Kumar, a shopkeeper at Perundurai road, points out.

The police personnel do not take any action against the private bus drivers, even if they notice the violations, residents in the town allege.

Senior police officials claim that they are strictly enforcing the traffic rules. “But there is very little cooperation from the vehicle users. A better traffic management needs good cooperation from the general public,” a senior official here says.

Officials further say that they have launched a drive to check speeding in the town and other parts of the district. Teams are being posted in the important roads to conduct vehicle checks and initiate action against those indulge in speeding.

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