One-way violations near Central Bus Stand cause frequent traffic congestion

Unregulated one-way violations near Central Bus Stand in Tiruchi causing traffic chaos, safety risks, prompting stricter penalties.

One-way violations by auto rickshaws and four-wheelers on Rockins Road near the Periyar statue roundabout at the Central Bus Stand in Tiruchi have been hindering the free flow of traffic and posing a safety threat to road users.

The Central Bus Stand, which is spread over six acres, handles around 2,000 buses per day and operates around 150 omnibuses. Unregulated movement of vehicles near the roundabout leaves the entire area chocked.

The violation has become rampant since the closure of the overbridge near the Railway Junction to facilitate the construction of a new bridge. Vehicles which were plying through the old overbridge have been diverted to the new Aristo overbridge near the bus stand.

Although steel barricades have been placed as a barrier, leaving way for the two-wheelers, violators, such as auto rickshaws, tend to ride through the wrong way, causing chaos.

With no traffic police in sight, the drivers of cars and autorickshaws create a bottleneck on the stretch. Instead of taking a detour, the autorickshaws break the law to save fuel and time. “Unexpected entry of vehicles creates panic among the drivers who stick to the rules. The rules are mostly violated by the autorickshaws to save fuel,” said B. Venugopal, a motorist.

The one-way stretch of McDonalds also faces similar violations. The stretch which connects the bus stand with Bharathiar Salai is rarely manned.

The absence of strict measures by the city police to regulate traffic is said to have led to this junction connecting major roads becoming chaotic with vehicles from all directions. “Police should be deployed during prime hours to regulate vehicular movements. Absence of police personnel is the key reason for such violation,” said a city resident.