Two busy junctions in Chennai where motorists are often on their own
The Hindu
The Doveton junction in Vepery and the Venkatesa Agraharam Road-RK Mutt Road junction has traffic regulation by police personnel during rush hour. Fot the most part of the day, motorists have to rely on their judgement
Danger at Doveton junction
Doveton junction is a liminal space that involves three major localities: Vepery, Purasawakkam and Perambur. Vehicular traffic barrels into Doveton junction from Purasawakkam High Road, Perambur Barracks Road, Ritherdon Road, Jeremiah Road and Hunters Road. Despite processing a huge volume of vehicular traffic, the junction has been allowed to function without the aid of traffic signals. Traffic signals are found but they are comparable to props films to create the illusion of a particular environment, an ambience. These signals offer only an illusion of automatic, digital regulation.
According to regular road users at the junction, years have elapsed since these signals went on a “sabbatical”. Vepery traffic police has a booth, but manual regulation is hardly up to the unruliness the junction throws up during rush hour. There are many schools in the vicinity, and hundreds of students navigate the junction, and it definitely needs a functional automatic, digital signalling system.
A junction in Mylapore where every wheel rushes in
The point where Venketesha Agraharam Road, South Mada Street and RK Mutt Road meet is a flurry of confusion.
Just ahead of this junction, Venkatesa Agraharam Road is a hairdo neatly parted in the middle. A barricade splits the road down the spine directing traffic towards the left on one side, and on the other allowing traffic to flow in from RK Mutt Road and South Mada Street.
A board forbids the right turn, an injunction that is often ignored with impunity. As Venkatesa Agraharam Road has the famous Sai Baba temple, there are hours when the traffic movement into and out of the road is huge. During such times, when motorists from the road take the unauthorised right turn into RK Mutt Road, there is usually a disruptive clog.
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