Chennai: The city will soon provide commuters with image-based guidance on directions to landmarks and cautionary warnings for accident-prone stretches, school zones, pedestrian crossings and speed breakers across 300 key roads.Greater Chennai Corporation officials say the 20-crore initiative will improve road safety and commuter convenience by offering clear directions, visually intuitive symbols, and timely warnings in areas such as Nungambakkam, Kodambakkam, Anna Nagar, Mount Road, Velachery and Perungudi. “The proposed signboards will not only indicate routes and major landmarks but also include cautionary messages, particularly in accident-prone stretches and high-traffic zones. Special emphasis will be placed on school areas, where the awareness boards will encourage safer driving practices,” said a senior GCC official.Signage on speed breakers and pedestrian pathways will be put up in areas that are often poorly marked and witness frequent mishaps. “Standardising and upgrading signage with image-based formats is expected to make them more accessible to a wider range of road users, including those unfamiliar with the city or not fluent in Tamil,” the corporation official added.The move is meant to address the city’s rapidly growing vehicle population and traffic congestion. Urban planners said inconsistent or missing signboards not only cause confusion but also increase the risk of accidents.Residents have flagged the need for clearer signage in newly developed and peripheral areas, where development has not kept pace with urban expansion. “If implemented effectively, the initiative could mark a significant step towards improving traffic discipline, making the roads more organised, predictable and safer for the public,” said B Niranjan Patnaik, president of Kamarajar Nagar Residents’ Welfare Association at Ernavoor.
