Chok-a-block congestion of vehicles on the five-road junction at Bibikulam is a common sight. It will test the patience and riding/driving skills of road users more when there is no traffic police.
In a free-for-all situation, anxious road users are often forced to make all kind of violations to somehow get out of the junction to reach their destination.
The major problem is the narrow culvert over the Bibikulam channel and an awkward alignment of roads — Jawahar Road and Nethaji Road — that are located opposite to each other but join at the junction at different points.
Besides, the convergence of P.T.Rajan Road with Rathinasamy Nadar Road right at the junction also adds to the congestion as vehicles from all five roads attempt to get into the junction to proceed in at least two directions.
In the process, vehicles are caught in a mess of what could be described as two junctions placed side-by-side — junction of P.T.Rajan Road (Bibikulam side), Rathinasamy Nadar Road and Jawahar Road and a junction of P.T.Rajan Road (Narimedu side), Netaji Road and Jawahar Road.
Vehicles coming out of Jawahar Road are blocked by those vehicles coming from both sides of P.T. Rajan Road, Rathinasamy Nadar Road and also from Netaji Salai. A traffic blockade for few seconds would result in piling of vehicles on all five roads leading to chaos. While the traffic police automatic signals are not functional for some time now, the only road stretch available to keep apart vehicles converging from different directions is a small metal frame in a triangular shape placed on one corner of the elongated junction.
“The cramped space at the smaller junction is the major cause for the congestion. People often find it difficult to manoeuvre it in the absence of police personnel,” said T.D. Ranjith Kumar, whose office is located closer-by.
Besides, he finds fault with the location of the metal frame that acts as a minor traffic island.
“This sometimes blocks the free movement of vehicles. Another major problem is the encroachment on road margins by shopkeepers at the junction,” he said.
A casual scanning of the junction proves his complaint to be true, small eateries and tea stalls are either encroaching upon the road margins with their paraphernalia or with haphazard parking of two-wheelers.
One of the eateries has placed its self-service table on the pavement forcing pedestrians to fight for space with vehicles teeming up on the junction.
Besides, a few electric poles were also posing hindrance to the free movement of otherwise wider P.T. Rajan Road on Narimedu side and Rathinasamy Nadar Road on Bibikulam side.
The junction is very crucial for the roads that lead to various hospitals, educational institutions, commercial buildings and many government offices like BSNL, Customs office, Income Tax office, Employees Provident Fund Office.
Except for the P.T. Rajan Salai on Bibikulam side and Jawahar Road, all other roads are bus routes.
“A number of buses that connect Periyar bus stand, Tirunagar, Tirumangalam and Airport with Tapal Thanthi Ngar, Mahatma Gandhi Nagar, Kulamangalam have to cross this junction.
A traffic police personnel is posted during the peak hours in the mornings and evenings. But, when he is deployed for some VIP or procession-related traffic regulations elsewhere in the city, traffic movement goes for a toss,” an autorickshaw driver said.
Besides, hundreds of private vehicles and autorickshaws and two-wheelers keep the junction busy as it connects thickly-populated residential areas like Bibikulam, Chockikulam, Krishnapuram Colony, Kulamangalam, Narimedu, Sellur and Police quarters among other areas.
Hundreds of school and college buses also adds to the traffic congestion during peak hours.
An immediate solution to the problem is ensuring posting of a traffic police at the junction on all days.
Besides, vehicles coming from other roads should not be allowed to enter P.T.Rajan Road (Bibikulam side) to avoid further congestion.
Those vehicles can be allowed to proceed further on Rathinasamy Nadar Road and take anyone of the connecting roads near BSNL Office or beyond to reach P.T.Rajan Road.
