A one-way arrangement lasting only a few hours every day has been in force on North and South Mada Streets in Mylapore since last July. Now, the arrangement has been enhanced to include all the other hours of a day.
Following the removal of vehicles parked on these streets without any authorisation, on February 7, the refreshed arrangement came into effect.
Previously, the one-way system was followed from 9 a.m. to 12 noon and later from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. every day, except for Sunday.
“Even during these one-way timings, motorists would flout the rule, taking a right into South Mada Street from Adam Street and also from T.S.V. Koil Street. Due to this violation, pedestrians would be left with little space to walk. Mathala Narayan Street is another place that is rife with violations,” says K.S. Shankar, a resident of Alwarpet and a member of Kapaleecharam.
The Kapaleecharam Committee, a residents-driven collective that seeks improve the civic condition of areas surrounding the Kapaleeshwar temple, is collaborating with Vivekananda College and Ramakrishna Mission School to get students to help keep the one-way system working at its optimal best.
“We have spoken to the traffic police and sought their permission for students to volunteer for a few hours every day. We are also trying to get volunteers from Queen Mary’s and MGR Janaki College,” says K. Viswanathan, member of the Committee.
Split into three batches, around 30 students from Vivekananda College will be volunteering, says M. Jeevanandham, a first-year BSc physics student who has been volunteering for close to a year now.
“Earlier, when I would stop anyone flouting the one-way rule, I would receive a quizzical and sometimes disdainful look. Now, with the badge, I find this work much easier to do. The greatest challenge lies in controlling large crowds, especially during festival times,” says Jeevanandham who is part of the 16-member team of the Station Vigilance Committee which monitors traffic and prevention of petty crime inside and around the temple.
“It would be helpful if more college-going girls volunteered. We can’t check women in the event of petty crimes such as pickpocketing,” he adds.
Fourteen policemen have been deployed in two shifts to enforce the new one-way arrangement.
However, due to staff shortage, police officials want more members of the public to volunteer to help the one-way system work. “During school hours, parents hardly follow the one-way arrangement. If resident-volunteers are stationed there, they could sensitise these parents to the necessity of following the one-way rule. And, after some time, deploying police personnel at the entrance and exit will suffice,” says C. Mageshwari, DCP East (Traffic).
In the next two days, new signboards alerting people about the change will be installed, she adds.
