Restaurants make Anna Salai their parking lot, choke traffic flow

Since the GP Road stretch from Anna Salai was made one-way in 2012 to facilitate underground Metro Rail, motorists going towards Teynampet have been forced to take GP Road to join Anna Salai again through Whites Road. And those intending to go to the left side of the Anna Salai will have to take a detour and join Anna Salai via Smith road.

While GP road which is dotted with shops selling car accessories on either side becomes choked during the peak hours, a part of Anna Salai on the either side have become parking space at the entry point, thanks to the restaurants at the junction.

“While half of the road on the side of the restaurants have already been encroached upon by them to park customers’ vehicles, for the last few days, the other side of the road near the centre median have also been occupied by the cars. It makes it very difficult for motorists like us to pass through the stretch,” said Sivakumar, a private firm employee, who uses the road to reach office every day. He accuses the traffic police working in favour of the restaurants as they never try to remove the vehicles parked in rows on Anna Salai even during the peak traffic hours.

Another motorist said that they start parking the vehicles at the T-junction of GP Road and Anna Salai and as the time passes, the vehicles pile up covering the entire stretch. “Will police keep quiet if a common man parks his vehicle on the middle of the road, choking the traffic” he asked.

When contacted, K Feroze Khan Abdullah, Deputy Commissioner (Traffic-East ) said that he would look into the matter.