While entering an vehicular and pedestrian underpass at Ajax in Thiruvottiyur, pedestrians and motorists are actually stepping into the unkown. Due to lack of adequate illumination, the underpass is plunged in darkness.
They have requested the State Highways Department and the Southern Railway to install more lights.
The underpass connects Ambedkar Nagar with Manickam Nagar and facilitates connectivity to Thiruvottiyur bus terminus. Every day, a countless number of motorists and pedestrians from Ambedkar Nagar pass through the subway to reach the bus terminus, Tollgate, Ennore, Minjur and other areas across the city.
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Commuting through the subway after sunset is a risky affair due to inadequate illumination, a commuter said. Around four sodium vapour lamps have been installed at the centre of the subway below the tracks between Thiruvottiyur and Wimco Nagar railway stations.
The lighting facility on the service lanes abutting the subway fails to provide illumination. To add to the commuters’ woes, water leaks from the ceilings and through the walls. The walking area is quite slippery too.
There are no medians on the subway, except for an iron pole at the entrance and exit points of the tunnel. The absence of medians tempts two-wheelers to drive rashly without any concern for the safety of other road-users, and posing a danger to those coming in the opposite direction, another commuter said.
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Commuters have to be extra careful when commuting through the tunnel. Steps should be taken at the earliest to provide adequate illumination, construct medians, and arrest seepage of water, he urged.
When contacted, a State Highways Department official said, “We are unaware of the issue. We will inspect the underpass and facilitate lighting, and place small square-shaped concrete slabs as medians in the narrow subway will occupy much space and affect free flow of vehicular traffic."