The initiative by Greater Chennai Corporation and Chennai Traffic Police to raise a concrete median on accident-prone stretches of Santhome High Road and Kamarajar Salai to promote safety, seems to be yielding results.
From Mada Church Road to South Canal Road, on Santhome High Road, the concrete blocks that have been serving as a median have been replaced with a permanent concrete median. Similarly, a 200-metre stretch from Light House junction to Karaneeswarar Koil Street junction, on Kamarajar Salai received a median around six months ago. Following this work, no major accident has been reported from both these stretches.
As Kamarajar Salai is a well-maintained road and therefore, makes for easy motoring and many motorists taking the stretch tend to drive fast, and in the past, many fatal accidents had taken place there as a result of this.
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“It would be a blatant untruth to say accidents don’t take place any more on this stretch (Light House junction to Karaneeswarar Koil Street junction) of Kamarajar Salai, but they have certainly reduced since six months ago when a median was raised there,” says N. Murugan, a resident of the area.
Many motorists are yet to notice that a median has come up there.
“Santhome High Road is narrow and, in comparison, Kamarajar Salai is considerably wider and as a result of this, motorists are prone to errors of judgment where the new median is concerned. There have been instances of speeding motorists failing to notice the new median and running straight into it. Thankfully, these errors of judgement have resulted only in minor accidents,” says a traffic policeman posted at the intersection. Although reflectors are fixed on the median, traders say many more need to be placed near the intersection of Karaneeswarar Koil Street, Kamaraj Salai and Santhome High Road.
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“Most of the accidents happen in the early hours of the morning and having more reflectors on the medians will help prevent accidents,” says Ashok Kumar, an autorickshaw driver.
Other initiatives taken on Kamarajar Salai include having around six traffic junctions from Napier Bridge Junction to Light House to ensure motorists don’t speed.
The bus bay at the entrance of Besant Road was also constructed to prevent accidents on the stretch. However, this is yet to be used.
“We are waiting for a formal opening of the facility after which MTC buses have to compulsorily stop at the bay,” said a Corporation official of Zone 9. He says more steps need to be taken at the junction leading to Avvai Shanmugam Salai and Pycrofts Road to prevent motorcyclists from taking a sharp turn.