As schools and colleges in the city have reopened to full strength, traffic congestion during the opening and closing hours has turned troublesome for motorists.
The problem is apparently more at locations where the campuses are situated along busy thoroughfares. It has become a common sight in the Cantonment area, for instance, to see school children rushing with their bags to board auto-rickshaws in the middle of the road, often in the midst of peak afternoon traffic.
Parents coming to pick up their children also tend to double-park their vehicles in a haphazard manner, obstructing the flow of regular traffic. The problems are similar in educational institutions situated in the Main Guard Gate area.
“While many schools employ one or two support staff members to monitor the children’s movements when they are leaving the campus, it is not possible for them to control everyone, especially when there are thousands of kids streaming out of the building from different directions,” said a parent.
Even though the congestion can be seen only for short periods during the day, it can cumulatively end up in delaying other motorists who regularly use the roads.
Students with disability, especially those who have visual and auditory problems, are at risk of disorientation because of the chaos that ensues when the school or college ends for the day, academics point out.
“There are no norms for regulating traffic bottlenecks from institutions as such, but we have appointed two constables for some places like Jamal Mohamed College, where there is a large movement of people at a particular time of the day. They ensure correct parking of personal vehicles and auto-rickshaws to ensure the safe movement of students when shifts change from 12.45pm to 1pm,” R. Mutharasu, Deputy Commissioner (Traffic and Crime), told The Hindu. “It is estimated that around 13,000 persons enter and leave the campus simultaneously, so we try to make sure they do not block the regular users of the surrounding roads,” Mr. Mutharasu said.
Many students were risking their safety by walking long distances to bus stops on highway junctions when closer options are available, said the official. “There is usually a big rush of college-goers on both directions of the TVS Toll Gate, for the public bus service, even though there are alternative access roads that can be safer to use at peak time. Traffic constables are on hand to see that the students are able to board the buses without hassle,” he said.
Mr. Mutharasu added that the public should use the police department’s helpline number ‘100’ to record traffic problems. “Whether it is an accident, congestion or any other traffic issue, people should call up 100 to register their complaint. The department will look into it as soon as possible,” he said.
