The new traffic arrangement on the service road of Velachery railway station, introduced recently by the traffic police, has not gone down well with the public. Residents and motorists complain that the traffic police have made the changes keeping the business community in mind, instead of helping ease traffic congestion.
There are two service roads connecting Velachery Main Road with the southern arm of the Inner Ring Road. The service roads are important link roads for commuters using the Mass Rapid Transit Service (MRTS) and several residential layouts including a school. The service road on the east side was made a one-way the day after a multi-storeyed textile showroom was launched and ‘no parking’ boards were installed at several places on the road to prevent unauthorised parking of vehicles.
The one-way system has caused severe hardship to residents and MRTS commuters, as vehicles coming to the textile showroom are parked on the service road and interior roads.
R. Mohan, who parks his four-wheeler at the Velachery railway station, said he was unable to understand the logic of making the service road a one-way. Due to the new traffic arrangement, he has been forced to make a round-about on the already congested Velachery Main Road to reach the railway station.
Vehicles carrying students to a school located in VGP Selva Nagar nearby are also finding the situation difficult.
S. Kumararaja, secretary, Federation of Velachery Welfare Association, said several residents welfare associations have planned to request the traffic police to remove the diversion.
A senior traffic police official said that the diversion was put in place by the local traffic authorities on a trial basis without bringing it to the notice of higher officials. He said that they have been directed to remove the new traffic arrangements, which would be done once the study is carried out in a few days.
