Provide zebra crossing, traffic signal, speed breakers near Pattabiram ROB: Residents
Residents and activists of Pattabiram have been asking the Highways department for the basic traffic facility but so far, it has fallen on deaf ears.
A busy junction on CTH road near Pattabiram bus shelter with vehicles criss-crossing without a traffic signal
CHENNAI: CTH Road, near the Pattabiram bus shelter, on both sides is lined with five mahals, a hospital, a supermarket, a cinema theatre and several commercial establishments, and yet, it does not have zebra crossing or a traffic signal.
This makes it a challenge for the hundreds of residents, school and college students, and pedestrians who cross the road between the shelter and Tidel Park daily.
Residents and activists of Pattabiram have been asking the Highways department for the basic traffic facility but so far, it has fallen on deaf ears. According to residents, last week, a fatal accident occurred at the Devarajapuram pedestrian crossing and a U-turn point on CTH Road.
To prevent more such accidents, the pedestrian crossing was closed with barricades. This has now created a new problem – possibilities of a coalition of vehicles plying from Avadi to Tiruvallur, with drivers from Tiruninravur trying to take a U-turn near the Pattabiram bus stop to reach Tiruvallur.
T Sadagopan, president, Tamil Nadu Progressive Consumer Centre, explained: “After getting down from the Pattabiram Road Over Bridge (ROB), two-wheelers, cars, and heavy four-wheelers move past the Pattabiram junction to reach Avadi. It’s tough for pedestrians, as there is no zebra crossing on CTH Road in the 0.5 km stretch from Pattabiram bus stop to Tidel Park. All of them move between the barricades to reach the other side.”
For a long time, residents and activists have been asking for roundtana opposite the Pattabiram T9 police station. “A while back, officials of the Highways department said the roundtana will be built after the ROB was completed. We’re still waiting for that roundtana,” he averred.
Concurring with him was AS Sudharshan, a resident of Anna Nagar, who added, “I often visit my relatives in Pattabiram. Speed breakers and traffic signals with CCTVs are essential in the arterial route to prevent accidents.”
D Sarojini, a resident of Tiruninravur, pointed to the challenge in crossing a busy road that does not have a zebra crossing. “I visit a private hospital in Pattabiram for medical treatment. There are multiple barricades on the roads, which make it difficult for me to cross the road and reach the other side to board a bus or auto to Tiruninravur,” she stated.
When contacted, an official in the Highways department told DT Next, “So far, we haven’t received complaints from the public. After discussing it with the traffic police, signals, pedestrian crossing and speed breakers will be installed.”
