Traffic chaos returns at Tambaram junction in Chennai

CHENNAI: The traffic situation at Tambaram Hindu Mission Hospital junction has deteriorated once again. Barricades placed by police to prevent two-wheelers from using the wrong side of the road to reach GST Road have been moved by the locals.
This unauthorised action has led to significant traffic congestion on the national highway, causing severe disruption to the flow of vehicles.Commuters now face delays of 15-20 minutes to cover just a 500m stretch of the six-lane road. To compound the problem, there are not enough policemen deployed to either book violators or regulate traffic.
V Srinivasan, who regularly commutes through this area, said “the traffic signal near the Hindu Mission Hospital is intended only for pedestrians, but two-wheelers frequently use it to cross the road, and the police seem powerless to stop them."
Adding to the chaos, the frequent cancellation of suburban train services for maintenance work has forced more private vehicles and autos on to GST Road. This has increased the burden on the road.
Further near the Tambaram bus stand, the situation remains dire, as govt buses do not halt in designated bays but instead pick up and drop off passengers in the middle of the road.
"It took me almost 40–50minutes to cross the one-kilometre stretch," said P Kumar, another frustrated commuter.
Local residents said that traffic violations are a daily occurrence at the hospital junction, with police often turning a blind eye to complaints. “During the weekends, govt mofussil buses block both sides of GST Road near the local railway station. What started as a brief stop has turned into an unofficial bus stand where buses wait until all seats are filled,” said S Ramesh, a resident-activist from Uma Nagar.
In response, Tambaram police said that they installed traffic cones and barricades to create a separate path for buses. However, some govt bus drivers refuse to use these paths, as it requires waiting for the buses ahead to move. Police said that they will take action against those driving on the wrong side of GST Road.