One night, while riding his motorcycle on Guduvancherry flyover, S. Srinivasan was temporarily blinded by a splash of light from a van headed in the opposite direction. The headlights of the van were on high beam, but poor illumination on the flyover also contributed significantly to the disorientation suffered by the motorcyclist.
The story does not end there. Disoriented, Srinivasan also knocked down a pedestrian, who could not be spotted due to lack of illumination.
Fortunately, Srinivasan saw the pedestrian in the nick of time and slammed on his brakes, preventing an accident.
S. Srinivasan, a resident of Jaya Nagar, Guduvancherry, says, “The flyover was opened to pedestrian and vehicular traffic six months ago. But, till date, the lights on the flyover remain non-functional.”
Pedestrians use the flyover to avoid crossing or walking alongside the railway tracks.
After sunset, the section of the grade separator that facilitates movement of traffic between Grand Southern Trunk Road and Railway Station Border Road in Guduvancherry and Madambakkam Main Road, Guduvanchery, becomes a danger zone, as the Light Emitting Dioxide (LED) lights on the facility don’t function. Moreover, it lacks a median and speed breakers and most motorists drive at breakneck speed, raising the risk of accidents.
The elevated stretch has a median only foe a few metres. As a result, vehicle users overtake others and come in the wrong direction.
This is an extremely busy facility, used by thousands of motorists every day.
“At night, this facility poses a grave threat to the safety of motorists. With motorists driving fast on a poorly-lit section, they will be unable to ascertain the distance between their vehicles and others’. Pedestrians are at great risk too. The State Highways Department should take steps at the earliest to ensure illumination on the flyover,” says P. Thirumalai, a resident.
We will ensure that the facilities constructed by us State Highways Department are well-lit, officials said.
