Chennai: It is the unfortunate reality that people seldom follow traffic rules. They find ways to break the law even if there is a cop present at the lights.
But, at Ponniyamman Kovil Junction, there are no traffic lights or traffic cops. Hence, road discipline is missing.
The junction is where 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 from several other parts of Madipakkam take the road.
Aravind Ramachandran, a resident of Iyappa Nagar, who takes the road frequently, said, “More than thousands of people travel via this road and a number of minor accidents take place every single day. During busy hours, people tend to overspeed and a few riders are impatient to wait for their turn. All of these reasons majorly contribute to the aforementioned minor accidents.”
Hundreds of vehicles including, buses and lorries ply on the busy road, say residents. “For more than a couple of decades, there is no traffic signal in this area, though there is heavy traffic congestion everyday as vehicles from all possible directions move in haphazard manner,” they claim.
“If there is a traffic signal installed at this junction or if a policeman is deployed, traffic flow will be regulated. Or at least, a speedbreaker can be laid at the junction, to prevent over-speeding,” opined Aravind.
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 at the junction. Also, impatient drivers keep honking, which adds to the chaos.”