Three days ago, a young motorcycle rider narrowly escaped going under the wheels of a city bus at Athikulam junction on New Natham Road. While an onlooker stood stunned, a traffic constable on the four-corner intersection simply dismissed it as “a common occurrence” and said it was further proof of growing indiscipline among motorists in Madurai.
Inadequate traffic police strength, outdated equipment, lax policing, and the absence of good roads makes city driving risky. Ramesh, a medical representative, who commutes to the city on his two-wheeler, says, “I wear my helmet. I don’t expect the police to discipline others. But they just issue a warning and let them off,” he says.
B.B. Kulam, Athikulam, Munichalai Road, Tamil Sangam Road, Rajah Muthiah Mandram, Anna bus stand, and Anna Nagar Suguna Stores intersection are potential accident sites.
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Removing the roundabout near Anna bus stand has hot helped, motorists say.
Police point to the spiralling vehicle population. Since 1986, around 290 police have been managing the city traffic from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Clearly, danger lurks at every turn on Madurai’s roads.