The Velachery Main Road has become congested at Kaiveli in Pallikaranai because of the mushrooming of hawkers and shops.
The arterial road, which is used by thousands of vehicles, is choked with heavy traffic. Though the road is a three-lane stretch at Kaiveli, the traffic flow is hindered by the parking of vehicles and hawkers turning the road margins into shops.
Several hawkers have put up permanent structures encroaching on the road, causing a severe traffic jam at peak hours. While this stretch of the road is occupied by hawkers and unauthorised parking of vehicles, several shops use a portion of the other side of the road for parking and displaying products.
The motorists request the Highways Department and the traffic police to clear the encroachments to ease congestion.
R. Gururajan, Pallikaranai
Department responds:
Official sources in the Highways Department said encroachments on this stretch of the road had been removed in November last year since the shops were obstructing the traffic, especially at peak hours. Vehicles were parked on the main carriageway at times.
An encroachment removal drive would be conducted again to ensure free flow of vehicles on the road with the help of the police.
Extension of services
The residents of Pattabhiram request the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) to extend to Kilambakkam a few bus services which are operated from Avadi to Tambaram.
The two services are Avadi-Tambaram (route number 266), running through Paruthipattu, Mangadu, Kundrathur, Pammal, and Pallavaram, and Avadi-Tambaram (route number 70), operated through Ambattur OT, Padi, and Chromepet.
Now, the residents of Pattabhiram and other localities have to take three buses to reach the Kilambakkam bus terminus.
Sundaresan Thirumaran, Pattabhiram.
(Readers can write to this column at readersmailchennai @thehindu.co.in)
