Chennai: Even if there is a traffic signal or a policeman, people barely obey traffic rules. But here, in Ponniyamman Kovil Junction, there is no traffic discipline, as there is no signal or any policemen to regulate vehicle movement.
The Ponniyamman Kovil Junction is where the busy roads like Madipakkam- Velacheri Main Road, Vembuli Amman Kovil Road, Ponniyamman Kovil Road and Sabari Salai meet. People from Karthikeyapuram, Sadasivam Nagar, Iyappa Nagar and several other parts of Madipakkam take this road.
Lakhs of vehicles including, buses and lorries ply in this busy road. For more than a couple of decades, there is no traffic signal erected in this area, though there is traffic congestion everyday as vehicles from all possible directions move in haphazard manner.
Goutham Raj, a resident of Balaji Nagar, who travels via Ponniyamman Kovil Junction, said, “More than thousands travel via this road and a number of minor accidents take place every single day. In the busy hours, people tend to over speed and a few riders are impatient to wait and cross the road. All of these reasons majorly contribute to these minor accidents.”
He also opined, ‘If there is a traffic signal installed in this Junction or police man is deployed, the traffic flow will be regulated. Or at least, a speed- breaker can be laid in the junction, to prevent over speeding.
A local shopkeeper who runs an eatery near the junction, says, “Everyday accidents occur here. People have no road discipline. Vehicles come from all sides and there is congestion in the junction. Also, these impatient drivers keep honking, which adds to the chaos.”