Citizen Connect: Vehicles vie for space on Thirumalai Pillai Road, commuters blame poor traffic management

While travelling on Thirumalai Pillai Road during peak hours, one would realise what an actual roller coaster ride looks like. With buses, two-wheelers, autorickshaws and cars vying for space on the narrow road, one also must be prepared to take on the steady stream of vehicles coming from Bazullah Road.

Arivazhagan S, a resident of Jafferkhanpet,  said that considering the volume of traffic, the  management is poor. He said, “You take the road because it gives easy access to Kodambakkam High Road or to GN Chetty Road on either side. But with the innumerable sub-lanes in between and many commercial establishments like textile shops, restaurants, apart from schools, making your way through the stretch is a chaotic experience. 

Adding to the traffic is Bazullah Road, which links the stretch to Usman Road. The commuters are left at the mercy of each other and negotiate the space among themselves. The traffic police should take concrete steps to ensure that the road is safe and easy to use.”

Regular commuters question the lack of a traffic police personnel to man the junction. “I have not seen a traffic policeman at the junction ever. Even during peak hours, there is no one around to control the vehicles running amok from all directions. This is a densely populated area and both a commercial and residential area, accordingly steps should be taken to ensure smooth movement of traffic,” said Henry George, a service professional. He added that crossing the road can be a nightmare for a pedestrian. “It is only at the signal near the intersection with GN Chetty Road can one dare to cross the stretch,” he pointed out.

When questioned about the efforts taken by the traffic police to ease congestion, especially during peak hours, Stephen, Assistant Commissioner (Traffic Enforcement Wing, T Nagar Range), said that the bottleneck will be attended to. A source from the Pondy Bazaar Police Station said that managing traffic on the stretch especially during the evenings is a challenge. “We will look at ways to make travel faster and safer on this stretch,” said the source.