How many traffic jams must a motorist endure, before he can have an easy drive? Well, I get all Dylanesque when I cross the junction of Brindavan Street and Arya Gowda Road in West Mambalam. Only that, unlike Bob Dylan, who sensed that the answer to each of his timeless questions was ‘blowing in the wind’, I don’t know where the answer lies. Nor do the residents.
Residents say the problem has been persisting for a long time, and yet no concrete steps have been taken to address it. More importantly, the simplest thing that could be done, which is having a traffic signal installed there, has not been done yet.
S. Prasanna, a resident of Veeraswamy Street, says, “The traffic on this stretch is heavy as there are many link roads branching off Arya Gowda Road that connect to areas such as Valsaravakkam, Kodambakkam and Vadapalani. Around five schools are located in the vicinity and therefore, it is absolute chaos during rush hour.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Residents also pointed out the Corporation’s compactor arrives around this time to clear garbage, compounding the problem.
Another resident, Gayathri, says “The Arya Gowda Road is too narrow and there is heavy traffic to boot. The arrival of the compactor makes matters worse. It stops at each garbage container and vehicles have to move at a snail’s pace behind the compactor. Many a time, I have chosen to get down from the share-auto and walk the remaining distance instaed of being stuck in traffic .”
Similar problems prevail at the junction of Govindan Road and Mettupalayam and at the junction of Station Road and Lake View Road.
ADVERTISEMENT
“We rarely find a traffic cop at these junctions. During weekends and on festive occasions, the traffic situation there is worse,” says R. Srivathsan.