During rush hour every day, vehicles roll past a signal that is not placed at the best of spots on Taluk Office Road in Saidapet. Just a few metres away, a foot overbridge (FOB) is found.
Though motorists question the location of the signal, commuters make optimum use of it. In contrast, the FOB is hardly used. Commuters complain that the FOB is steep. Sri Rangan, one of the commuters, said the signal helped them cross the road at the junction now.
“I hardly see anyone using this FOB ever since it was installed. I fail to understand how anyone would want to build such a steep structure for people. Won’t they put themselves in the commuters’ shoes before constructing something like this for them?” he asked. The FOB that cost Rs. 33 lakh was opened in 2011. Raji Srinivasan, another commuter said: Since it is a wide road, we would literally run to cross the road. But now, traffic personnel help us cross the road. But motorists are not happy with this move; they say the signal only increases their travel time. S. Santhosh said, “As such, there is signal almost at every junction; this one is unusually placed too. Of course, I don’t blame the commuters for not using the foot-over-bridge and choosing the signal,” he added.
