The accident that claimed the lives of two employees of the toll plaza in Porur on Chennai Bypass brings the facility under scanner for safety measures. Connecting Tambaram with Madharavam, the Chennai Bypass links two far-lying sections of Chennai and is extremely busy for most part of the day. The sections of the road close to the toll plaza need better lighting, which includes LED street lights, a levelled bitumen surface, reflectors and safe service lanes. Another glaring feature of this section: There is no ambulance to be found.
Earlier, an ambulance was kept at Irumbuliyur near Tambaram on the stretch but was removed a few years ago.Besides the toll plaza in Porur, there is one in Ambattur.
“Except for the toll plaza at Porur, where dim lighting is available, the entire stretch does not have street lights forcing motorists to rely on their headlights,” says S. Rajavel, a motorist from Tambaram. Between Tambaram and Madhavaram, the Chennai Bypass has only two openings — at Porur and Ambattur toll plazas — where vehicles from the Bypass can reach neighbourhoods on both sides via service lanes. Likewise, vehciles on the service lanes can climb on to the expressway. As a result, the spot around the toll plazas, especially the one at Porur, is congested, and there is often no regulation of vehicles on the service lanes and the Expressway.
Adding to the chaos, residents of localities such as Porur wait near the toll plaza to board south-bound SETC buses. A large number of hawkers too can be seen at the toll plaza selling eatables and fancy items.
“Steps will be taken to provide basic facilities at this toll plaza on Chennai Bypass,” says an NHAI official.
