Two sections — one on Velachery Main Road and the other on the Sholinganallur-Medavakkam Road (also known Perumbakkam Main Road) — are so lacking in illumination at night that drivers might as well drive blindfolded.
On Velachery Main Road, this poorly-illuminated section stretches from Santoshpuram to Medavakkam.
On the other road, illumination is found on the section from the Sholinganallur Special Economic Zone (SEZ) to the Sholinganallur junction, helped by tall posts with two arms carrying LED lamps and also by illumination from shops.
Interestingly, immediately after the Sholinganallur SEZ, there are no LED posts to be seen. This situation continues all the way to Pudhu Nagar in Perumbakkam. On the Pudhu Nagar section, you again find posts with LED lamps.
Beyond Pudhu Nagar, and all the way to Medavakkam, it is again darkness that is only mildly dispelled by illumination from lamps at commercial establishments on both sides.
“Given the volume of traffic on these stretches, lack of illumination is a major handicap to vehicle users,” says S. Dass, a resident of Perumbakkam.
Pedestrians face an additional problem. There are no pavements between Santoshpuram and Medavakkam. On Medavakkam-Sholinganallur Road, pavements remain out of bounds for pedestrians.
“Between Santoshpuram and Medavakkam, the stretch is free at any point of the day. So, vehicle users travel at a high speed, which puts cyclists and pedestrians at high risk for accidents,” says P. Siva, a resident of Santoshpuram.
The high beam of lights from vehicles coming in the opposite direction blinds the vehicle users.
