The traffic congestion at Mandaveli Market junction in Chennai is an issue that has been existing for long and motorists and residents points to the poor traffic regulation by the traffic police personnel that worsens the actual problem.
“The road is used by hundreds of vehicles including MTC buses every day and traffic congestion has been existing for many years. Even after repeated requests by the people living in the neighbourhood no traffic police has been deployed at the Mandaveli Market junction,” says R Madhusudanan.
RK Mutt Road becomes one-way after the intersection of St Mary’s Road and though this was done to ease the traffic flow, the problem has not been solved. With no traffic police in the vicinity many motorists use the road as a two-way as per their wish and sometimes this too adds to the problem.
Ganesh, a motorist, said there should be a signboard at least to indicate that the stretch is one-way. “Many first-time motorists are unaware about the one-way on this stretch and they use it as a two-way which makes them prone to accidents. First, a traffic police must be there at all times and secondly, there should at least be a signboard for motorists,” he says.
“Pavements are also encroached by vehicles and vendors and it is a challenge every day for pedestrians to walk on the road. This is a very old locality and today it has become one of the important roads and naturally because of narrow streets traffic congestion is terrible. Increasing the road width is the only possible thing but it is something which is next to impossible. The best thing to do is at least regulate the traffic and also make this area a no-parking zone,” says Kumar, a resident.