TIRUCHI: The second entry leading to Tiruchi Railway Junction continues to remain in disuse with drivers of town buses avoiding the road. The road that stretches nearly half-a-kilometre presents a deserted look in the absence of movement of town buses.
The stretch which has suffered extensive damage over a period has turned into a convenient spot for some private cab drivers to halt their vehicles. The road was laid by the railways a couple of years ago to serve as a second entrance to the Tiruchi railway junction which witnesses heavy passenger movement in the early morning and night hours.
It was intended to ease congestion at the Junction roundabout where the buses take a turn to enter the approach road leading to the station to drop passengers. The system did work for some time as town buses bound for Central Bus Stand went via the road to reach the Tiruchi Junction from the Bharathiar Salai.
After dropping passengers near the station, the buses thereafter made a ‘U’ turn to return back on the Bharathiar Salai and proceeded to the Central bus stand thereby skipping the station’s approach road.
The City Traffic Police ensured that the town buses adhered to the system by placing barricades at the Bharathiar Salai – second entrance road point cautioning drivers of town buses to take that stretch instead of using the approach road to reach the station.
However, this failed to be a regular arrangement after a point of time. Town buses bound for Central Bus Stand have been avoiding the second entrance and continue to ply via the station approach road to drop passengers at Tiruchi Junction.
The very purpose for which the road was laid seem to have got defeated with town buses - private and those belonging to the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation refraining from using the stretch.
With the road remaining in disuse for long, the City Police officers and the Tiruchi railway division officials held discussions on this issue on Monday. One suggestion that was being mooted was that buses entering the second entry road should not be made to take a ‘U’ turn at the end after dropping passenger.
Instead of taking a ‘U’ turn on the second entry road they should be allowed to go straight to reach the normal exit point near the Junction round about. However, there was some safety issues involved in this concerning passengers moving towards the station by walk from the approach road, say officials.
As some issues were involved a joint committee comprising the railway engineering and Railway Protection Force personnel would work out the suggestions and convey them to the Traffic Police authorities.
Thereafter, a joint meeting would be held between the railways, police and state transport corporation officials to solve the issue. The traffic police will finalise after that, the sources said.
Railway officials have asked the City Police to reduce the size of the Junction roundabout to ease vehicular congestion at that spot. Officials said some solution would emerge soon.
