After the Madurai Corporation authorities recently laid new roads on many stretches, including the arterial Ambedkar Salai, many road users resort to rash and negligent driving, causing accidents, police say.
In a bid to discipline and regulate such people, the police have discovered ‘novel’ ideas, which have irked law-abiding vehicle users. The ‘sudden’ installation of medians, unscientific speed breakers and mobile barricades, seems to have pained road users.
For instance, after most residents of the Police Quarters near the Sixth Battalion on the New Natham Road gave a petition to the police authorities stating that they were unable to cross the road, mobile barricades were installed near the Tamil-Jaya cinema complex. “This has actually resulted in chaos than reducing the speed of the vehicles,” V. Ramanathan, a resident of Athikulam, said, adding the authorities could instead explore the possibility of laying user-friendly speed breakers.
Only when they noticed traffic police, vehicle users, particularly youngsters, reduced the speed near the barricade. When there was no policeman posted there, they terrorised others by moving at breakneck speed, he charged.
However, Shyamala, a resident of the Sixth Battalion, said only after the mobile barricades were installed, they were able to cross the road without much difficulty, especially at night.
A lecturer, who comes from Natham to Madurai on his two-wheeler daily, said, “One day, when I was returning home at night, there was no electricity on the stretch. I could not see the barricade in the dark, and I had a fall after hitting it. The police could have had some reflectors or caution board here.”
If the mobile barricade on the New Natham Road is a bane for many, the missing of speed breakers near the Raja Muthiah Mandram Circle was another problem for vehicle users. Many people coming from the Gandhi Museum, KK Nagar and Melur side towards Race Course Road-Pandyan Hotel side had to take a right turn near Kakkan statue. After the road was re-laid, the speed breakers in front of the Corporation Anna Maaligai and SBI Bank had vanished. It becomes difficult for vehicles users to cross the point, Arulraj, a college student, said. When there were no speed breakers in front of the Officers’ Mess, some people reduced speed as a signboard was still there, he added.
When contacted, ACP (traffic) Yellapparaj said they had informed the highways authorities about the need for speed breakers at many points. “We will step up action against speeding drivers,” he assured.
The police had booked over 84,000 cases of various traffic violations and collected a total fine of Rs.2.14 crore to date this year, he added.
