Recently, rows of vehicles, most of them goods-laden lorries and trailers, were waiting for their turn during a routine vehicle check at the traffic signal on the Third Main Road, beneath the Chennai Bypass Road in Ambattur. As a result of this line-up of vehicles, other road users suffered. The stretch turned chaotic, with motorists finding it difficult to negotiate the narrow space that was left for them.
According to motorists, traffic policemen associated with Nolambur police remained a mute spectator to the traffic chaos. They focussed the attention on checking the documents of the waiting vehicles and imposing fines. They did not give any thought to providing any alternative arrangement so as to de-congest the narrow stretch.
In fact, all the heavy vehicles that come from the Bypass were stopped at the traffic signal. Some motorists jumped the signal because by the time they reached the traffic point, the signal had turn red. This resulted in minor collisions with other vehicles coming in from the opposite direction.
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“The traffic police should find some other place to carry out such vehicle checks as the activity obstructs the smooth flow of traffic. We hardly have a minute to cross the signal. With vehicles parked in this manner, we cannot make it in that time,” said K.Vasudevan, a motorist from Padi.
The bitumen-topped stretch beneath the Chennai Bypass Road, between Nolambur of Anna Nagar and Retteri is known as the Third Main Road and most part of the stretch falls under the Ambattur Industrial Estate area. Lined with software companies and manufacturing units on either side, the 60-feet-road has been used by hundreds of motorists from areas like Kolathur, Korattur, Retteri, Red Hills, Puzhal, Mogappair, Anna Nagar West, Ambattur Old Town (OT), Thirumullavoyal, Padi, Annanoor and Avadi to reach Maduravoyal, Porur and Tambaram via the Chennai Bypass. The stretch acts as a shorter route to reach these areas. More importantly, the stretch is wider, less congested and better lit. T The congested stretches like J.N Main Road, Ambattur Industrial Estate Road, 13th Main Road, Third Avenue Road in Anna Nagar are the usual route for motorists from the western and north- western parts of the city who on their way to the main city via Poonamallee High (PH) Road. Third Main Road beneath the Chennai Bypass gives is an attractive alternative for these motorists.