Before crossing the intersection of Medavakkam Main Road and Sabari Salai in Madipakkam, K.B. Chander looks for help.
This resident of Raghava Nagar in Moovarasampet looks for any traffic police personnel to help him cross the intersection.
If no traffic personnel is found, he walks for a distance of around 300 meters (towards St. Thomas Mount) to cross the Medavakkam Main Road at a median opening.
“Crossing the intersection is a harrowing experience. Motorists come at a breakneck speed. Pedestrians dart across the road unmindful of the heavy vehicular traffic. There are chances of pedestrians being fatally knocked down by undisciplined vehicle users,” says Chander.
The intersection provides connectivity to Kaiveli which is on Velachery Main Road and Keezhkattalai, Nanmangalam, Kovilambakkam, Puzhuthivakkam and Ullagaram, which are on Medavakkam Main Road.
Lack of pedestrian, and vehicular signals at the intersection often leads to a chaotic situation. Motorists don’t stop at the intersection unless they are forced to halt.
During rush hour, it is common sight to see motorists being stuck in the congestion for more than half-a-kilometre on Sabari Salai and Medavakkam Main Road.
Making matters worse, some vehicle users race with each other while taking a turn at the intersection.
Bus commuters say not an hour passes without heated arguments between vehicle users at the intersection.
“Vehicular and pedestrian signals are necessary at the intersection to regulate traffic in a proper direction and help pedestrians cross the intersection safely. To reach their destinations on time, vehicle users throw caution to the wind, endangering their lives as well as those of others. Steps should be taken at the earliest to install signals at the intersection to avoid fatalities,” says V. R. Subramani, a resident of Ayappa Nagar, Madipakkam.
When contacted, Chennai Traffic Police officials promised to do the needful.
