The junction of five roads has become unsafe for motorists, pedestrians

Unsafe Egmore junction with poor pedestrian facilities, chaotic traffic, and lack of safety measures requires urgent redesign and improvements.

The junction of five roads, including Pantheon Road, Langs Garden Road, and Gandhi Irwin Bridge Road, at Egmore has become unsafe for pedestrians as well as motorists.

Pedestrians have complained that they are unable to cross the junction, which was improved several years ago under the non-motorised transport policy of the Greater Chennai Corporation. The junction has been crucial to the Corporation’s plan for improving non-motorised transport in Chennai. Following the Right to Walk Campaign launched by The Hindu in 2013, the Corporation widened footpaths, redesigned road junctions, and created pedestrian facilities at the junctions.

After 2013, the civic body created two-metre footpaths near the junction, installed cycle-docking stations, and created parking lots for cars in the area. The establishment of a police booth on the widened footpath at the junction and the construction of a new bridge across the Cooum disrupted the original pedestrian friendly design of the junction.

Haphazard parking of vehicles along the stretches near the junction adds to the chaos. Crowding at the Tasmac outlets in the area is another problem highlighted by residents and motorists who cross the junction.

Owing to frequent protests permitted by the police in the area, particularly on Langs Garden Road, traffic is blocked at the junction, residents say.

Councillor Fathima Muzaffer says she has asked the Bus Route Roads Department of the Greater Chennai Corporation to redesign the junction to ensure the safety of pedestrians, especially women, children, and the elderly. “Substance abuse is reportedly high in the area. So, I have requested for more street lights at the junction and on the roads in the vicinity,” she says.

At rush hours, the junction is congested. Local resident B. Maran says a group of persons returning from the Tasmac outlet stopped an autorickshaw at the junction and forced a woman passenger to get down a few days ago. Policemen, who are usually posted at the junction, were absent during the commotion.