Every vehicle-user’s hope at any signal is to clear it and move on in the shortest time possible.
On Anna Salai, near the junction of Thyagaraya Road-Eldams Road, the wait for the signal to change seems eternal. When a siren sounds from an ambulance, there is hope that the signal will turn green.
Stop line violated
On Monday, a 10-minute wait near the junction was a revelation. Most two-wheelers and a few four-wheelers violated the white stop line. Some were way past the signal and wouldn’t know if it changed.
The policewoman under the makeshift umbrella periodically blew the whistle to warn violators.
An elderly couple put out their hands to stop the traffic as they crossed Anna Salai. “They expect the traffic to stop. How will vehicles stop when the signal is green,” she lamented.
Signal changed
Just as she signalled vehicles at the Eldams Road junction to move, a man alighted from his scooter on Thyagaraya Road and said, “An ambulance is on its way.”
A few seconds later, the ambulance made its way to Nandanam from Thyagaraya Road as the policewoman deftly clicked the switch to change the signal.
In a span of four signal changes, at least six ambulances, of which three had their sirens on, passed the stretch.
A traffic inspector posted to man the junction said that with more hospitals coming up on the stretch, the police had to ensure ambulances move fast.
Pedestrian Poornima Nandakumar, who lives at T. Nagar, struggles to navigate the long-winding one-ways that were introduced to meet the needs of Metro construction.
“The work is over, but many roads are still one-way. Now, T. Nagar is facing a similar situation,” she said.
Safe passage
The traffic police say their aim is safe passage for people. With the number of vehicles increasing every year, the police are devising ways to ease congestion.
“The police now stand on the road instead of under the traffic umbrella and at night, we wear fluorescent vests and use baton lights for people to see us. We help pedestrians cross safely,” the traffic inspector pointed out.
“The cameras help to nail traffic violators. We don’t have to argue with them anymore. We are constantly on our toes and continuously evolving methods to ease the movement of vehicles and people,” he said.
