Illegal parking of heavy vehicles, including tankers, along TVS Colony Main Road in Mogappair has been hindering the free movement of vehicular and pedestrian traffic for many months now. As the 60ft-wide road does not have much of traffic police presence, it has become convenient for drivers to park their vehicles permanently there. Traffic police monitor the key Ambattur Industrial Estate Main Road, which is maintained by the State Highways Department. “We have been facing the problem of illegal parking for many months. Despite complaints to civic authorities, lorries are parked along the stretch, making it risky for road-users,” says V. Rajagopal, president, Anna Nagar Western Extension Phase – II Residents Welfare Association.
Connecting Ambattur and Tirumangalam, the 1.5-km road provides access for residents of many streets including Vinayakar Koil Street, Gandhi Street, Ambedkar Street and Anna Street to Anna Nagar, Thirumangalam, Padi, Kolathur and the Poonamallee High (PH) Road. Further, it also connects the residential area with the busy Jawaharlal Nehru (J.N)Main Road. The road is lined with commercial buildings, including private hospitals, schools, residential quarters and other public utilities such as banks and petrol pumps.
Every day, on an average, around 1,500 vehicles use the TVS Colony Main Road to reach various parts of the city. as The road is bitumen topped, less congested and has a wide footpath and streetlights. As a result, workers from hundreds of industrial units in Pattaravakkam, Korattur and Ambattur use the road to reach CMBT, Koyambedu.
Taking advantage of the width of the road, drivers of heavy vehicles, including tankers, park their vehicles on the road permanently to evade police patrol. Schoolchildren and senior citizens are scared to use the stretch as lorries take a sudden turn without noticing pedestrians. Further, drivers of these vehicles loiter around the spot all through the day, creating nuisance to the residents. “Steps will be taken soon to clear illegal parking of vehicles,” says a Corporation official.
