A few barricades have come up along the median of Melur Road opposite the main gate of district court complex. To be exact, 11 metal barricades have been placed close to the permanent median between the district court gate and Kakkan statue junction.
“The barricades have been placed to prevent vehicles from Kakkan statue side taking a wrong turn and jump the signal at the court entrance,” said a police constable. Besides, they have been placed in such a way that vehicles coming from Vinayaka Nagar Second Street do not take a right turn towards MGR statue junction cutting through the busy vehicular traffic on the Melur Road.
The barricades would also prevent vehicles from Kakkan statue side to take right turn to the Vinayaka Nagar Second Street.
A traffic police personnel said increased traffic had already forced the city police to post a constable to regulate traffic to allow vehicles and pedestrians getting into and coming out of the district court complex. Vehicular flow had to be stopped on both directions for this regulation that leads to piling up of vehicles on both sides of the road.
“Allowing vehicles to take right turns (into and from Vinayaka Nagar Second Street) in close proximity to the main gate of the court further blocks free flow of traffic and escalates traffic congestion,” the police said.
Now, the vehicles are forced to take left turn towards the Kakkan statue junction and then take U-turn which does not affect the free flow of traffic.
A similar problem does exist on the other side of the gate too at the Melur Road-Vinayaka Nagar Main Road junction just few metres away. Here too vehicles that stop on the middle of the carriageway to take right turns (to and from Vinayaka Nagar Main Road) bringing the traffic flow to a halt. “This area is also prone to accidents as vehicles turning towards right take others by surprise,” police said. A similar arrangement with barricades could prevent right turns and also accidents.
Vehicles from Kakkan statue junction side could go up to MGR statue junction to make a U-turn to reach Vinayaka Nagar Main Road. Vehicles from this road could go up to Kakkan statue junction and make U-turn to reach MGR statue junction side.
Besides, haphazard parking of vehicles on the left side of the Melur Road between MGR statue junction and the petrol pump has been a major hindrance to free flow of traffic. Removal of speed breakers at this spot has resulted in vehicles not slowing down for those crossing the road.
Addressing these issues could make traffic movement smooth on this important stretch of road that connects the city with MGR Bus Stand and Omni Bus Stand.