The road divider — instead of beginning at the square — starts several metres inside the lane, creating confusion for motorists turning in from the busy junction. Vehicles entering the road often find themselves abruptly adjusting to narrowing lanes, while those exiting struggle to gauge oncoming traffic in the dark. This results in sudden swerves, honking chaos, and frequent near-miss collisions. “Is this area part of Nagpur or a suburban hellhole,” asked another resident.At the Gittikhadan T-point, traffic discipline is virtually non-existent. Despite the presence of signals, motorists routinely jump lights, especially during peak hours. The stretch witnesses heavy movement of school buses, city buses, and private vehicles, all funnelling at the other end through a narrow culvert built over a nullah — a chokepoint that can barely accommodate smooth two-way movement.The divider itself has further shrunk the usable carriageway. Add to this, roadside encroachments and vendors occupying portions of the road, and overtaking becomes nearly impossible. Four-wheelers are forced to crawl behind slower vehicles, while two-wheelers zigzag dangerously to squeeze through gaps.Pedestrians attempting to cross face even greater peril. “With dim lighting and obstructed sightlines, drivers struggle to spot them. Stray bovines and dogs frequently wander onto the carriageway, emerging suddenly from the shadows. If urgent corrective measures are not taken, then till stretch will remain a ticking time bomb,” said Pramod Gurav, a shopkeeper.“There is no clarity, no enforcement, and no planning,” said resident Manav Telgote. “The culvert is too narrow, the divider is misplaced, the lights don’t work, and no one follows the signal. It’s a perfect recipe for disaster.”The combination of poor infrastructure, reckless driving, and administrative apathy has turned what should be a routine connector road into a daily gamble for commuters. The stretch links key residential pockets and is heavily used by students and working professionals, making the risks even more alarming.Residents are demanding immediate restoration of functional streetlights, extension of the divider up to the square to streamline traffic flow, strict enforcement at the T-point signal, and removal of roadside encroachments.Corporator Seema Daware told TOI that encroachment over footpaths by the shops alongside the road is the biggest reason for the traffic chaos. The newly elected corporator assured that the contractor maintaining the streetlights would be severely reprimanded and steps would be taken to remove traffic snarls on the road.Officials from neither NMC’s Mangalwari zone nor the electrical department could be contacted despite multiple attempts by TOI. Ward 10 corporators Saraswati Salame and Pramod Thakur too did not respond to calls.
