Haphazard parking and blatant violation of traffic rules have become the bane of the city. The one-way rule on several stretches in the city is never followed, thanks to poor enforcement by the traffic police.
One-way rule exists only on paper on Ambalathadayar Madam Street, Rangapillai Street, Kokku Park junction and Vellala Street.
The arterial Jawaharlal Nehru Street housing several commercial establishments is the latest addition to the list. Although there is no time restriction for the rule, motorists presume they can enter the wrong lane after 10 p.m.
The flow of vehicular traffic on J.N. Street during peak hours has slowed down considerably. With cars parked along both sides of the road, the space available for vehicles has shrunk considerably.
“Poor planning is the reason behind the problems facing the city. The authorities tend to come up with short-term solutions rather than addressing the future needs of the city,” said N. Vaithianathan, a resident of Saram.
Although the traffic police introduced alternate parking rule every six months, very few adhere to the law. Popular shopping areas such as Villupuram Road, Anna Salai, Kamaraj Salai and Bussy Street suffer from the menace.
“There has been a phenomenal rise in the number of vehicles, particularly two-wheelers in the last few years. This necessitated introduction of one-way rule in important segments. But the one-way rule is violated with impunity. Although signboards have been erected indicating the one-way rule, it is not adhered to,” says S. Nadarajan, a resident.
Haphazard parking
Businessmen from Tamil Nadu are regular visitors to the city on Sundays. They park their vehicles wherever they want and are not fined. There should be strict enforcement of traffic rules and spot fine should be collected, he said.
Shortage of manpower in traffic police wing has added to the difficulty in managing the traffic. Puducherry is marked as a commercial centre and the house owners let out a portion of their buildings for shops and establishments. This has increased the density of traffic.
“When there is violation of rules, there is no intervention by the police. And when the police swing into action on certain days, they do so only for the sake of it. The traffic police, though hard-pressed for manpower, might need to deploy personnel on arterial stretches to ensure that parking rules are enforced strictly,” said U. Selvi, a resident of Gnanapragasam Nagar.
“The revised new traffic penalties for violation of road rules are yet to be notified and the government is working on it. Traffic police have been conducting frequent drives and notices are sent through the court. Adherence to traffic rules is necessary to ensure smooth traffic flow in the city. The active participation of citizens is important in this,” said a senior police official.
