Since the completion of the four-lane work on Chennai By-pass Road, most residents of Golden Rock and other colonies beyond have been forced to undertake an hazardous commute along the service lane between G.Corner and TVS Tollgate junction every day.
Of late, indiscriminate parking of vehicles in front of commercial establishments along the service lane near TVS Tollgate has accentuated the risk for motorists.
With direct access to the Golden Rock via G.Corner being blocked after the by-pass became a four-lane highway, the service lane has been catering to two-way traffic for the past several years now. Otherwise, motorists have to take a detour of about two km to go up to Senthaneerpuram to take a U-turn and return to enter the Golden Rock main road from the left. Alternatively, they can go via Pudukottai Highway to join Ponmalaipatti Road, which makes for a detour of more than four to five km.
Though there was a clamour for building a subway, the demand did not fructify as negotiations between the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and the railways, taken up since 2012, did not lead to any tangible result. NHAI was willing to build the subway, but it sought 3,000 sq mt of railway land and ₹1 crore from the railways. At one stage, the railway authorities came forward to provide the land, but the issue of sanction of funds was not addressed.
“At least a limited use subway can be built to allow two-wheelers to cross over beneath the bridge at G.Corner. Town buses alone should be allowed to go via the service lane, so as to ensure safety of the motorists,” said H. Ghouse Baig, a consumer activist.
While the issue festers on, residents complain that the traffic congestion caused on the service lane due to indiscriminate parking of vehicles in front of the eateries, tea shops and hotels near the TVS Tollgate Junction have been posing a threat to road users. At times, dozens of two-wheelers and cars can be seen parked along the road.
“A slew of vehicles of visitors can be seen parked in front of these commercial establishments almost right through the day. The problem turns acute in evenings as dozens of vehicles, including cars, are parked along the service lane. Heavy vehicles, cars and mofussil buses entering the city from the by-pass come at high speed and two-wheeler riders often face much difficulty in negotiating this stretch,” said R. Gopal, a city resident.
“The police should strictly not allow parking of vehicles in front of the shops as the service lane caters to two-lane traffic. The present situation endangers the lives of motorists,” Mr. Baig observed.
Locals also complain that vendors and shopkeepers have occupied the pedestrian pathway on the stretch forcing people to walk on the road and going around the parked vehicles, exposing themselves to the risk of being hit by speeding vehicles.
Moffusil and town buses also halt near the TVS Tollgate Junction, close to the underpass across Pudukottai Road.
This again causes much congestion as vehicles turning left towards Golden Rock and those going ahead towards Pudukottai Road are often caught in a logjam.
Very often, the traffic pile-up runs up to the commercial establishments where the service lane is constricted by parked vehicles, residents complain.
While traffic police say that commercial establishments have been warned against allowing visitors to park their vehicles on the service lane, it does not seem to have had much effect.
