Following the renovation of Sulochana Mudaliar bridge across the Tamirabharani, the police allowed all vehicles going from Palayamkottai to Tirunelveli via the 170-year-old structure but diverted autorickshaws, cars and buses via Udaiyaarpatti.
Vehicles that were allowed via the bridge, going from Tirunelveli to Palayamkottai, had to take Madurai Road, Ram Theatre and North Bypass Road to reach Chellapandian over-bridge at Vannarpet.
The presence of Acacia along the diverted route compounded the inconvenience to motorists. Some bus passengers were hurt by the thorny boughs while travelling.
Poor
students
The worst affected are the school children travelling in buses and autorickshaws. Vehicles parked along this narrow stretch aggravate the problem.
“We can understand the reason behind the traffic diversion effected in view of the ongoing renovation of Sulochana Mudaliar Bridge. At the same time, the police, before diverting the heavy vehicles via a narrow road, should have inspected such spots to assess if the alternative route is safe.
The police should act at least now, as the bridge renovation work will take a few more days,” said D.A. Prabhakar, member of the Road Safety Committee.
Some bus passengers were hurt by the thorny boughs while travelling, says
P. Sudhakar.