Chennai: Lately, Vadapalani has witnessed rising cases of motorists driving / riding in the wrong direction.
According to Jaganathan, a resident who is an advocate by profession and a social activist, “There are many people in Chennai who drive / ride in the wrong direction.”
Motorists driving / riding in the wrong direction between Vadapalani and MMDA colony, especially on the side of the carriage way where traffic moves towards CMBT, has become a common sight.
Residents say that motorists do this to gain access to interior streets along the stretch. “They do it because the section of the road is wide and also there are no traffic cops,” says Mridula, another resident of Vadapalani.
Also, on Arcot Road, parents who go to drop or pick up their wards from school drive / ride in the wrong direction during rush hours. This is due to lack of pedestrian crossings opposite the schools, many said.
“It is highly risky for the parents and students,” said a schoolteacher. Gopirajan, a resident, said with concern, “Usually, the public tend to give safety the backseat to save time. This attitude should change and it should come from within which is the only permanent solution.”
When News Today spoke to the traffic police department, they informed that such traffic violation can be curbed by better planning of roads with considerable access to public utilities such as schools, petrol pumps and hospitals.
“Creation of service lanes helps in preventing driving / riding on the wrong side but such facility depends on the availability of space,” said a police official.