Unregulated movement of vehicles causes frequent traffic congestion near new Kollidam bridge and Yatri Nivas in Tiruchi on Monday.
| Photo Credit: M. MOORTHY

Frequent traffic snarls near the Kollidam road over bridge and Yatri Nivas junction in Srirangam has irked road users in Tiruchi.

Vehicles entering and exiting the Kollidam Flood Bank Road often find it extremely difficult to cross the junction. Similarly, the commuters heading to No. 1 Tollgate from Thiruvanaikoil also face the issue.

The problem persists almost throughout the day. The absence of police personnel to regulate traffic is said to have led to this junction connecting major roads becoming chaotic with vehicles from all directions.

Coupled with a lack of personnel to regulate the movement of vehicles, the absence of automatic traffic signals and dysfunctional street lights near the junction and on the bridge pose difficulties to commuters, sometimes even leading to minor scuffles among road users. Multi-colour blinker lights have been installed at the junction to alert road users and prevent accidents but to no avail.

Despite this being a prime section, the lack of signal has led the mofussil buses and heavy vehicles entering the city to drive carelessly, causing a threat to road users approaching from other access points.

“With the absence of police to regulate the movement of vehicles, driving has become a nightmare these days on the stretch. Police must ensure free flow by deploying officers at the right places to streamline the crisscrossing traffic,” said M. Rangarajan, a motorist.

Considering the sharp increase in the number of vehicles crossing the junction, especially from Yatri Nivas, N. Saravanan, a road safety activist, suggests that the traffic police conduct a comprehensive study to find a solution to ensure the free flow of vehicles. “Without a traffic signal, motorists are at high risk as there are plenty of blind spots,” he said.

When contacted, a senior traffic police said: “Steps will be taken to deploy traffic personnel round the clock to regulate vehicular movement in the area. Road safety experts will be roped in to conduct a study on the installation of a signal.”