CHENNAI: NSC Bose Road, one of the busiest arterial stretches in the city, continues to experience severe daily traffic congestion, with no lasting solution in sight. The problem, which has persisted for several years, has worsened due to the steady rise in the number of vehicles and inadequate traffic management.
The illegal parking of autorickshaws, two-wheelers, and cars along the roadside, coupled with encroachments by unauthorised shops and street vendors, remains a major cause of the bottlenecks. The situation is particularly acute during peak hours in the morning and evening, when traffic slows to a crawl or comes to a standstill.
Office-goers, students and daily commuters often face significant delays, struggling to reach their destinations on time. The limited carriageway, further narrowed by encroachments, leads to frequent traffic snarls and inconvenience to motorists.
Ramesh, a shopper, said, "Footpaths along the road had been completely occupied by small shops and vendors. Despite ‘No Parking’ rules, vehicles are parked haphazardly. It becomes difficult to carry purchased goods in such conditions. Shoppers are the worst affected. Children, women and elderly persons find it hard to cross the road due to steady traffic flow and space crunch as vehicles are being parked on footpaths. With sidewalks fully encroached upon, many pedestrians are forced to walk on the road,” he said.
Traffic officials acknowledged the issue, stating that heavy crowding was inevitable as the area attracts large numbers of shoppers. “We are taking steps to regulate roadside vendors and ensure that traffic movement is not affected. Efforts are being made to facilitate smooth movement for both pedestrians and vehicles without obstruction,” an official said.