No. of views : (2892)
Pondy Bazaar made one way now as work on pedestrian plaza is going on
Posted on: 09/Apr/2019 10:06:17 AM
If you are a frequent visitor then you would have known well that Pondy Bazaar is one of the most important and busiest places in the heart of Chennai city and many people come here for shopping etc. The news that has come out now is starting from Panagal Park till Dr Nair junction, Pondy Bazaar has been made one way and this trial began from Monday, 8th April 2019. Only from the Mount Road entry of the vehicles would be allowed now.
At Dr Nair junction here, as many as 4 lanes intersect and it is now said that Sivanyanam Street, Muthu Krishna Salai has been blocked. To enter the Thyagaraya Road, vehicles must go up to Residency Towers and this is if the vehicles are travelling from Panagal Park or Venkatnarayana Road. It must be noted that the pedestrian plaza work has been going in full swing and this trial run that would be present until this work gets over.
According to a corporation official it is clear that even in the past also certain inner lanes were blocked for the work and the commuters did not face any issues. The point is traffic congestion on the Thyagaraya Road would be reduced. The official later hinted about the possibility of making it permanent if the shopkeepers accepted it. A senior official was of different view and he said that this was just a temporary step and would be till the work on the pedestrian plaza gets over.
It was pointed out by Aswathy Dilip of Institute for Transportation and Development Policy that the arrangement is meant to reduce confusion. She added that parking on both sides of the road is allowed now. It must be noted that Thyagaraja Road was free from traffic congestion but motorists and bikers faced issues navigating through the inner lanes to reach Pondy Bazaar.
A shop owner spoke about how their business has gone down due to this project. He added that due to the ongoing work on pedestrian plaza there is no adequate parking space for the vehicles. By making it one way would only add to the already present confusion. There were few complaints from the residents belonging to T. Nagar regarding the road has been blocked and the road that is open for traffic. A commuter expressed his concern and spoke about how access to basic amenities like hospitals, schools, banks etc in the area has been blocked now.
