Motorists in the city are complaining that the lack of a traffic signal at the Anna Salai-GP Road junction poses a danger.
The stretch between LIC and Thousand Lights junctions were made one-ways,, to facilitate Chennai Metro Rail Work in 2012. It was only in September last year that the two-way system was restored on Anna Salai. While the move has been welcomed by motorists, the traffic police have been struggling to find solutions to the traffic chaos at the intersections and have been tinkering with new ways to regulate the free flow of traffic.
However, motorists say that the Anna Salai-GP Road junction poses a danger and that a traffic signal should be installed at the junction. “Sometimes we find a policeman regulating traffic and at other times it is a mess. Vehicles come at great speed at this junction and an accident can happen any time,” said M. Mukund, a motorist.
A traffic policeman also said that there was a need for a traffic signal. “It should have been done before making it a two-way or at least soon after it. It is chaotic during peak hours,” said the police officer. He added that there was an urgent need to re-lay the road at this junction. “It is in a very bad condition. Motorcyclists are vulnerable to accidents on such bad stretches,” he said.
Meanwhile motorists also said that many people violate the one-way on GP Road. For some reason, the traffic police have reversed the earlier one-way system. Now, motorists can use GP Road only from the Express Avenue Mall side.
“A collision is waiting to happen. Bikes, sometimes cars, come at a great speed in the one way. They have blocked the entrance near Buhari hotel. But the motorists sneak in through small lanes and enter the GP Road," said a trader on G.P.Road.
A senior police officer said he would look into the issue of installing a traffic signal at the junction and curbing the flouting of the one-way traffic rule on GP Road.
