Pedestrians have requested the Kancheepuram district police to remove the round-shaped steel poles installed at the intersection of Grand Southern Trunk Road, Kamaraj Street and Nandhivaram Main Road, Guduvanchery.
Nearly ten poles have been installed to prevent motorists from taking an unauthorised u-turn. Pedestrians complain that this measure is not serving its purpose as the poles are placed wide apart, and motorcyclists sneak them. These motorcyclists hinder the free movement of pedestrian traffic.
M. Prabhu, a long-time resident of Guduvanchery, says, “Owing to the installation of poles at the intersection, crossing the stretch is difficult for pedestrians. Therefore, steps must be taken to facilitate a pedestrian signal at the intersection.”
Some motorcyclists try to force their way through the poles by obstructing others coming in the opposite direction, thereby causing congestion at the intersection and creating chaos on the highway. “Instead of taking a U-turn at the intersection of GST Road and Nellikuppam Road, Guduvanchery, a few reckless motorcyclists ride between the poles, causing traffic chaos. As a result, during rush hour, traffic comes to a grinding halt, sometime for many minutes,” he points out.
Efforts to contact the authorities proved futile.