Shopping centres bear the brunt of traffic bottlenecks in Tiruchi

With Deepavali festival around the corner, frequent traffic snarls on commercial streets around Main Guard Gate in Tiruchi have raised serious questions about the efficacy of traffic management in force.

Frequent traffic jams are not new on important commercial streets, including N.S.B. Road, West Boulevard Road, Nandhi Kovil Street, Chinnakadai Street, and Big Bazaar Street. The volume of traffic has been on a steady rise since the first week of October. The streets witnessed hectic activities in view of four continuous holidays beginning Saturday on account of Ayudha Puja with thousands of people flocking textile showrooms.

NSB Road, which is considered a shoppers paradise in Tiruchi, the Main Guard Gate junction, Madurai Road, College Road, and Chathiram Bus Stand bore the brunt of traffic snarls on Sunday and the situation continued on Monday and Tuesday as well. Gone were the days when the traffic snarls were limited to a few areas around the Main Guard Gate in the city.

With the opening of new textile and other major commercial establishments, the problem has extended from Chathiram Bus Stand, Tiruchi-Karur Road, Karur Bypass to Sastri Road. Most drivers invariably have to get caught in the traffic jams at least three or four places. They will have to move their vehicles at snail’s pace, thereby often leading to the lining up of vehicles to a long distance. Shoppers and drivers complain of poor traffic management and lack of visible policing.

“We need at least four traffic policemen for every km. But, we hardly find any policemen. Drivers have to find the ways for clearing the bottlenecks,” says M. Prabakaran, a driver whose vehicle was caught in a traffic jam at the Teppakulam post office on Tuesday.

Unlike previous years, N.S.B. Road, Nandhi Kovil Street, and Burma Bazaar are relieved from the encroachments by vendors this year. However, autorickshaws are parked haphazardly occupying the space on NSB Road.

“By taking advantage of the heavy crowds, the autorickshaws literally position their vehicles in the middle of NSB Road so as to find passengers. The autorickshaw drivers move from the area only after loading passengers. It invariably chokes the movement,” says a shopper.

A senior police officer told The Hindu that in addition to the regular strength, 15 policemen were employed on commercial streets to manage the traffic on Navarathiri holidays. The crowds were heavier than expected. A special security scheme would be in place for 15 days prior to Deepavali. Additional strength would be mobilised.