Chennai: Dysfunctional traffic lights in at least five junctions along the crowded Velachery-Tambaram road, from Madras Christian College, East Tambaram to Camp Road, Selaiyur have turned routine commute into a daily struggle. Although police are deployed occasionally, sudden U-turns and traffic violations such as violating one-way rules increase risk of accidents. The 4-km stretch, carrying more than 5,000 vehicles an hour, lacks pedestrian pathways and encroachments choke the roadway. Signals at junctions including Tambaram Sanatorium Road, Air Force Station Road, Kamarajar Road and Raja Iyer Street, and Camp Road are unregulated, leading to chaos especially at peak times. Drivers often race past intersections while the thoroughfare is packed, increasing the risk of collisions. While traffic officials claim no major accidents have been recorded, residents report frequent mishaps at these junctions. Ganesh Nagar residents welfare association secretary V Saritha said there are no paths for pedestrian to cross near schools. “Two weeks ago, I had gone to pick up my kids from school when I had a near miss,” she said. Travel and waiting time have also increased drastically, residents said. “We wait at least 20 minutes near Selaiyur police station just to take a turn towards Tambaram railway station.” said advocate S Aravind, a resident of Tambaram Sanatorium. Traffic police officials said the faulty signals will be inspected and repaired within a week. They also said wrong-side driving will attract a fine of 1,000.
