The Madras High Court on Tuesday directed the Commissioner of Police, Chennai city and Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) to reconsider the traffic changes made at Rajiv Gandhi IT Express Way, also known as Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR), in view of complaints of hardship caused to motorists.
Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice M. Sundar issued the direction on a public interest litigation petition filed by P. Mahalingam, Managing Director of a private company functioning from TIDEL Park.
During the course of hearing, the Chief Justice agreed with Senior Counsel N.L. Rajah that the traffic on OMR was chaotic. Mr. Justice Sundar said that even ambulances were finding it difficult to enter the Voluntary Health Services (VHS) hospital situated near Madhya Kailash. Then, Government Pleader M.K. Subramanian said that the traffic changes had been made on the IT highway for about a month or so “purely on trial basis.”
Later, the judges ordered that the Police Commissioner should take a decision within four weeks on the petitioner’s plea to make necessary changes in the traffic in such a way that bottlenecks were avoided and free movement of vehicles was ensured on the 20 kilometre stretch beginning from Madhya Kailash to Siruseri.
