The city’s vehicle population has crossed the one-million mark, according to the data with the traffic police.
But, have the roads been improved for the motorists? Are pedestrians safe? Is enforcement by the custodians of law effective? The questions seem to be never-ending.
For some motorists, driving is dangerous in a city like Madurai, because at many points, the absence of traffic police leads to rash and negligent ride. Secondly, jay walkers add to the confusion at busy intersections like Goripalayam, Periyar bus stand, Anna bus stand, Arapalayam and in front of the Alagarkoil Road (Tallakulam Perumal Temple) and among others.
While the police point their fingers to bad roads leading to accidents, some times fatal, the law-abiding motorists (who are less in number) accused reckless driving for the rise in number of accidents. Though the motorists say trouble points are at a few places and lack of enforcement seems to be the main cause for large scale offences.
For instance, starting from the northern side, the one-way traffic system on Alagarkoil Road and Ghokale Road helped in decongesting vehicle flow, but the absence of ‘zebra crossings’ on these stretches had resulted in pedestrians suffering to cross the roads. Many, be it young or aged, find it tough to cross road. Only when there are policemen, motorists stopped, road users claimed.
Yet another major pedestrian movement area is Periyar and the shopping complex bus stand areas. Here too freak accidents occur daily.
With auto drivers not in a mood to obey and youngsters zipping on their high-speed motorcycles, crossing the road from left to right or vice versa is a great risk.
“You must have luck to get to the other side of the road without being hit,” shopkeepers in the area said.
Remedy
By posting traffic police at busy junctions, many accidents can be prevented. When vehicles stopped for signal (during red) at intersections, the police can educate them to be guarded through public address system briefly. Similarly, pedestrians can be instructed to cross roads only at zebra crossings. By doing so, there would be an order and discipline on the roads.
Traffic police officers in the planning wing said that the city had a total of 12 major intersections. At eight points, they had signals with timers. The speed-breakers had been re-designed at major stretches to ensure motorists had a smooth ride.
Unwanted traffic islands had been pruned considering rise in vehicles.
The process to create zebra crossings at Yanaikkal, Kalavasal, Alagarkoil Road, Maatuthavani and Periyar bus stand areas would be carried out soon.
At a recent review meeting held by Commissioner of Police Shailesh Kumar Yadav, the enforcement of helmets figured, but in reality, the custodians of law seem to be not so keen on implementing it, they admitted.
