Unregulated traffic on Bharathiar Salai put road users at risk

Frequent traffic bottlenecks because of unregulated movement of vehicles near Birds Road on Bharathiar Salai in Tiruchi have raised safety concerns among pedestrians and motorists

Frequent traffic bottlenecks because of unregulated movement of vehicles near Birds Road on Bharathiar Salai in Tiruchi have raised safety concerns among pedestrians and motorists.

The tri-junction near Birds Road is an access point for commuters heading to educational institutions, places of worship, and commercial complexes in the locality. The area connects the Central Bus Stand, Cantonment, and Melapudur areas.

Traffic snarls turn acute during peak hours as vehicles heading to Birds Road from Bharathiar Salai and those on the opposite side make a U-turn converge on the junction. Road users face inconvenience because of vehicles parked on either side of the road, which houses many commercial establishments and educational institutions.

Chaos reigns in the area, with all types of vehicles, including buses, autorickshaws, cars, and two-wheelers attempting to crisscross at the junction. Two-wheelers tend to take a U-turn on the small space between the barricade and the median on Bharathiyar Salai.

Although the police have established a traffic signal to streamline the crisscrossing traffic, buses, and cars are driven carelessly, causing a threat to motorists approaching the road from other access points. The absence of police personnel throughout the day to regulate traffic is said to have led to this junction connecting major roads becoming chaotic.

Vehicles, especially two-wheelers, tend to collide against one another while trying to overtake to drive forward on their intended roads. “The problem persists throughout the day, especially during morning and evening. The pedestrians have to cross the road cautiously as vehicles approach from all directions,” said V. Dhachina Moorthy, a road user.

According to road users, unregulated movement of vehicles and haphazard parking have emerged as a roadblock to ensure the smooth flow of traffic on major roads. “The authorities should come up with a solution to regulate traffic and check violations,” said P. Ayyarappan, a road safety activist.