Madurai: Traffic regulation causing bottleneck near Yanaikkal

MADURAI: Traffic regulation of vehicles from Simmakkal on North Veli Street that came into effect a week back is causing bottleneck near Yanaikkal. As vehicles coming from Simmakkal on North Veli Street going towards East Masi Street are not allowed to make a right turn at Yanaikkal, they have to proceed to Kalpalam to make a U-turn.
As vehicles coming from both Simmakkal and Nelpettai are allowed to take the Yanaikkal overbridge, which has barricades set up to separate the two sides, it is causing a bottleneck. Traffic police said that the move was meant to streamline the movement of vehicles and prevent unauthorised and dangerous crossings.
“We are not against change in traffic movement if it’s for better regulation and smoother flow. However, the changes were made without considering the narrow roads near Yanaikkal overbridge and Kalpalam or the spilling over of traffic from Vaigai River bank road. During peak hours in the morning or evening, it is a nightmare as we have to spend several minutes waiting for traffic to move an inch,” said V Ramakrishnan, who commutes for work regularly through the route. The stretch on Kalpalam where vehicles have to make a U-turn to go towards East Masi Street is narrow.
The barricades set up to streamline vehicles going on the Yanaikkal overbridge has made the entry to the bridge narrow and leads to pile up of vehicles during peak hours. “There is hardly any space left for vehicles, especially in case of buses, when passing through the barricades. Some miscreants also keep trying to move the barricades to make turns from the wrong side which makes it worse and dangerous,” said K Sundaram, a shopkeeper near Yanaikkal. The Yanaikkal overbridge connects the two banks of the river leading to Goripalayam, which is one of the busiest areas in Madurai city.
DCP (Traffic) S Arumugasamy said that the traffic movement will ease when the Obula Padithurai bridge gets ready and traffic gets regulated on the Vaigai River bank service roads. “The changes had been made since it was found that the previous route led to choking of vehicles. Once Madurai Corporation lays the new road, it will ease the traffic flow,” he added.