Pitch dark Vaigai South Bank Road poses risk to motorists
The Hindu
Madurai's Vaigai South Bank Road stretch lacks street lights, posing safety risks for users, including VIP convoys.
Vaigai South Bank Road stretch between Viraghanoor junction and Kuruvikkaran Salai remains pitch dark at night. Madurai Corporation has not put up street lights for some 4 km.
The road was newly-laid spending crores of rupees to decongest traffic on the narrow Kamarajar Salai. A few years back, Madurai city police popularised this stretch of road and encouraged people to use it to reach Uthangudi-Kappalur Ring Road when the newly-laid South Bank Road saw fewer vehicles plying on it.
Consequently, this stretch of road has become the preferred road for all vehicles, from bikes to cars to trucks, from northern parts of Madurai to reach the Ring Road and vice-versa.
However, lack of street lights makes this road unsafe, particularly at night. Realising the risk involved for users of the road, Madurai city police recently brought back a check-post on the Vaigai South Bank Road at Obulapadithurai.
The long stretch of four-way road provides a faster track. The median makes the road safer despite fast moving vehicles due to access control features.
Even an opening provided for taking right turn from the bank road to New Teppakulam Colony road and vice versa remains closed using barricades by the Madurai City Traffic police.
The access-controlled road has come in handy for the city police to use this road for VIP movement. The convoy of Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, was taken through this road in the past.