Dindigul By-pass Road craves for better traffic regulation

With a four-way main carriage way and wider service roads on both sides, Dindigul By-pass Road is the widest road available in Madurai City. However, vehicular traffic on this important road connecting south with west of the city has left much to be desired.

Haphazard parking of vehicles, rampant encroachments by roadside shops on service roads and main carriage way and poor regulation of traffic have contributed equally to one of the busiest corridors of the city.

While a flyover saved traffic congestion on Kalavasal junction and new traffic arrangement has eased the vehicular snarl at Arapalayam junction. However, the free flow of traffic between Kalavasal junction and Palanganatham is obstructed at every opening on the median. Worst is the Ponmeni Main Road - Subramani Pillai Road junction where traffic comes to a standstill during peak hours.

Even deployment of a traffic constable has not helped much as scores of vehicles, especially school buses, vans and autorickshaws vie with one another to enter the narrow Ponmeni Road cutting across the main carriage way and the service road in the mornings and evenings.

“It has been a nightmare to cross any of the openings on this entire stretch. The only solution is to provide a flyover up to Fatima College,” rues K.L. Narayanan, a resident of S.S. Colony.

Another resident, William Jai, fears that the traffic signal posts proposed at this junction by Madurai City Traffic Police will only add to traffic snarl, air pollution and noise pollution. An autorickshaw driver says that the signal posts were installed four months back.

“We are for an elongated roundabout like what has been done at Arapalayam junction,” says K. Anandaraj.

With five schools located on Ponmeni Main Road stopping vehicles with traffic signal even for a minute will lead to piling up of vehicles on all roads and the narrow Ponmeni Main Road would face the brunt of the signal, he adds.

Another resident complains about unregulated parking of all types of vehicles on this road. “Even trucks passing through the road are parked on both sides of the bus stops for the drivers to sip a cup of tea. But, it would be passengers who suffer as buses would stop elsewhere,” he says.

Scores of roadside shops have cropped up on both sides of roads eating up good part of the carriage way. “All the customers park their vehicles, especially cars and two-wheelers in front of the shops and further narrow down the carriage way,” points out an autorickshaw driver, P. Chandran.

However, a senior police officer says that the plan was to ease the traffic flow on all four sides without a traffic signal. “But, the traffic signal is required at least to help the pedestrians cross the road,” he adds.

The authorities concerned need to make the abundantly available road space a model for traffic regulation and regulated parking.