A lifeline for motorists, a nightmare of residents. Pilot Lane seems to embody all the features of a necessary evil. This narrow lane shares a boundary with Pilot Theatre and is used by hundreds of motorists to get to Gowdia Mutt Road from Royapettah High Road and vice versa.
Cyclists, two-wheelers and mini-vans can be seen squeezing through this narrow stretch during peak hours.
“The lane is a lifeline for motorists, but an unpleasant place for us. We can hardly step out of our homes because of the traffic,” says S. Sarla, a long-time resident. She shows the parapet on her terrace that was damaged when a big vehicle passed through the lane.
The lane was a feeder canal serving water to thousands of homes. “The canal is quite long and passes through Leonard Street on the opposite side of the road and much beyond,” says P. Srinivasan, who runs the City Printing Works, one of the oldest buildings on the stretch that also serves as a border for the lane.
The lane, however, got its name more recently. After the closure of Pilot Pen Company, Pilot Theatre was opened in its place. And the stretch running parallel to it was christened Pilot Lane.
