Signal or no signal, commuters find it tough to move through Ambattur

Commuters driving past the junction of Second Main Road and Ambattur Industrial Estate First Cross Road have made peace with the increasing traffic there. As many commercial establishments have come up in the area, more than 20,000 vehicles pass through the junction every day.

Commuters say that a signal operates at the junction, but the flow of traffic has not been smooth. Accidents have happened.

As the volume of traffic increased in the area, the need for a signal was felt. “An automatic signal was installed earlier this year,” said an officer of the Greater Chennai Traffic Police.

However, commuters say the signal does not work and the traffic increases considerably from 9 a.m. to noon and from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays. They are stuck for at least half-an-hour while trying to cross the junction.

Industrial hub

“This is an industrial hub. At peak hours, this junction alone brings the entire stretch to a halt. The signal operates only at peak hours. What is more, a policeman has to switch it on. Most of the times, we have to regulate the traffic,” said G. Babu, an autorickshaw driver.

He said he would have to alert the traffic policemen whenever the traffic built up. “There are times when the policemen don’t come and we have to turn on the signal. Even the signal does not help. A person is required to regulate the traffic.”

The route has two bus stops on either way. As the stretch is small, the buses always bring the traffic to a halt.

“The road is narrow. Because people want to avoid the main junction, they use the smaller roads, causing even more traffic,” the traffic police officer added.

‘Highway to hell’

“At peak hours, going through the Industrial Estate is like attempting to go through a highway to hell. At the Ambit Park junction, people rush in from all directions. There is always a traffic jam, and the signal has made the situation worse. I’ve spent 20-30 minutes while trying to get through,” said Archita. R., a commuter.

When asked about the erratic functioning of the signal, the police officer said, “We have realised that the signal does not help in regulating the traffic. The commuters on bikes occupy the other side of the median, trying to get ahead of the traffic. What the signal does instead is to create more traffic because the others cannot use the road that is blocked. The policemen will do better in regulating the traffic. The signal helps, but not as much.”

Published - October 13, 2024 10:20 pm IST