Little regard shown to signal at Elephant Gate Road junction

Residents have asked for a traffic policeman to be stationed at the busy intersection.

Shocking traffic violations at Elephant Gate Bridge Road near Salt Cotaurs Goods Depot. Photo: M. Vedhan

The traffic signal at the junction of Elephant Gate Road, behind Chennai Central, does not seem to make any difference to motorists. They flout the rules. With Central railway station and a row of godowns, private and state-run, located near the station, the Elephant Gate Road presents a picture of chaos round-the-clock.

Hundreds of motorists from Basin Bridge, Pulianthope, Tondiarpet, Seven Wells, Mint, Choolai, Elephant Gate, Broadway and Royapuram use the Elephant Gate Road to reach the main city via Chennai Central.

“As Elephant Gate Road is narrow due to encroachments, motorists swerve to the extreme right side of the road, putting pedestrians at at risk. Motorists do not respect the traffic signal. Instead, they simply drive rashly,” says S.Ravi, a resident of Choolai.

S. Karpagam, a resident of Elephant Gate, says: “Everyday, I drop and pick my children from a school in the locality. Motorists even encroach upon the space meant for pedestrians. Once I was pushed down when a motorist jumped into the opposite lane hit me. Luckily, I escaped unhurt.”

It is a common to witness motorists including cars and autorickshaws travelling on the wrong side.

Police sources said traffic policemen were deployed at other traffic busy junctions in the neighbourhood like Wall Tax Road and beneath the flyover at Mint where there is also a bus terminus. Further, Elephant Gate Road is just a connecting stretch with various other important stretches.

“Adequate steps would be taken to regulate traffic on Elephant Gate Road,” says a police officer.