Poor illumination, indifferent motoring and lack of traffic police personnel make a deadly combo at the narrow triangular junction under the flyover bordering Thiruverukadu and near Poonamallee, on Poonamallee High Road. .Thanks to the presence of an MTC stopover and a medical college opposite the junction, there is heavy pedestrian movement on this section.
Another factor contributing to this: Between Thiruverukadu and Sennir Kuppam on Poonamallee High Road, this is the only junction that has a pedestrian-crossing.
Besides, a huge number of motorists coming from Thiruverukadu and Vanagaram take a left turn at the narrow junction to reach Porur, Mangadu and Poonamallee via the Link Road that connects the Thiruverukadu and Poonamallee. As a result, the junction witnesses an almost continuous flow of vehicles. “At night, most drivers of lorries and cabs drive at a high speed and do not bother to slow down at the junction to enable pedestrians to cross the junction,” says N. Venket, a resident in Poonamallee. And then, traffic signals, speed-breakers, reflectors and signboards are also missing at the junction. Further, the bitumen on the carriageway around the junction has worn off, making the section sandy.
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Motorists are know to skid on this sandy junction. Traffic police personnel have not been deployed, which emboldens motorists to violate traffic rules. “As per the rule book, street lights should be installed and maintained by the respective local bodies along any roads, which include those maintaned by the State Highways. Nevertheless, we will ensure a few bright lights are installed at the junction soon,” says a State Highways official.