Day 1: Traffic diversions for Eachanari flyover spell chaos

Coimbatore: The first day of traffic diversions to pave way for the construction of Eachanari flyover has turned out to be a disastrous for commuters on Friday.
Many commuters, who were working people, found themselves stuck on the Madukkarai Market Road for almost half an hour with vehicles moving in inches. They ended up reaching their places of work almost an hour late.

Similarly, almost all buses reached their destinations an hour late.

Though the highways department has promised to build the flyover at a break-neck speed of three months — neither the commuters, shop-keepers nor the bus and lorry owners believe them.

Bus drivers and commuters said 7am to 10am was a nightmare. “There was a one-and-half-hour traffic jam on Madukkarai Market Road through which all vehicles were diverted,” president of the Coimbatore District Bus Owners Association V Duraikannan said.

“Madukkarai Market Road is too narrow and congested to handle this extra traffic load,” he said.

“The diversion also includes a blind turn at Bodipalayam. Buses can take the turn only slowly, so vehicles moved slowly adding to the jam,” secretary of the Pollachi Bus Owners Association Boganathan said.

Bus owners say a bus leaves from Pollachi every other minute between 7am and 9am, each carrying at least 70 to 80 passengers. “The traffic diversions due to the Ukkadam-Athupalam flyover construction itself adds 20 minutes to the travel time, now these new diversions will add another half an hour,” said Duraikannan.

According to the new traffic diversions announced by the traffic police for the flyover work, all vehicles travelling from Coimbatore to Pollachi via Eachanari will have to take a turn before the Eachanari Temple into Madukkarai Market Road, proceed on to the L&T bypass or Malumichampatty and get back on to the Coimbatore-Pollachi Road.

All vehicles coming from Pollachi to Coimbatore must also turn into Malumichampatty or the L&T bypass, again take a left into the Madukkarai Market Road, drive till the Pillaiyarpuram Junction and reach Sundarapuram and from there, Ukkadam.

Bus drivers and owners say this diversion will require them to increase their fares which the district administration and transport department have not sanctioned yet. “State government buses have already increased their fares by Rs 9, but the RTO is yet to allow us to increase fares. While our time and fuel have already increased due to the diversions, making us drive through the L&T toll booth has further increased our expenses. They charge Rs 145 for a single trip, which is more than Rs 1,000 for a day,” said Boganathan.