Jumping of traffic signals by motorists is a problem often cited by police personnel as reason for road accidents. However, there is one traffic junction in Madurai - Palam Station Road-Kalpalam Bridge junction - where the police seem to have lost all hopes of ensuring orderly movement of vehicles since motorists seldom obey the signal.
Adding to the chaos at the junction is the movement of vehicles coming from Zambropuram side perpendicularly crossing the Palam Station Road, a few metres ahead of the signal, to take the road towards Thevar Statue to reach Goripalayam signal. An automated traffic signal and the presence of policemen at the booth at the junction make no difference to the motorists, who rarely stop for red light. A traffic constable, posted on duty at the signal, said that while some motorists coming on Palam Station Road from Sellur side stop at the signal, those coming from Kalpalam Bridge never stop. “They cannot be blamed entirely, since majority of them assume that there is no signal,” he said.
S. Mohamed Ashraf, an autorickshaw driver, claimed it was risky to stop at the signal since there was a good chance that the vehicle coming behind would hit you. “It is particularly dangerous when you are coming down the Kalpalam bridge since buses, lorries and other heavy vehicles come honking at high speed,” he said.
N. Pandiraj, a share autorickshaw driver, questioned why the police could not do away with the signal as in the case of a similar junction where Albert Victor Bridge meets North Veli Street. “Having a signal system, which is not strictly enforced, only leads to confusion,” he said.
However, the police constable said that though both the junctions had similar movement of vehicles, Palam Station Road - Kalpalam Bridge junction would become more accident-prone without the signal since there was criss-crossing of vehicles at high speed here.
“The solution is to strictly enforce the signal system. Visible presence of police should be there so that people stop at the signal,” the police constable said. “Once this is enforced, it will become possible for allowing vehicles from Zambropuram Road to Palam Station Road in a regulated manner so that they do not add to the chaos,” he added.
