Citizen connect: Traffic goes haywire in Velachery due to illegal parking on road

CHENNAI: Even as you are having a sumptuous dinner at any one of the restaurants located on the bustling Velachery Main Road, for a second remind yourself whether you have parked right because vehicles encroaching roads are causing a nightmare for commuters in the stretch, especially in the evenings.

Commuters say severe traffic congestion isn’t unusual near the VOC Nagar signal, thanks to the customers of restaurants and shopping complexes in the locality, who park their vehicles anywhere they find a place, instead of using available parking lots. Vehicles are forced to move ahead inch by inch as the road turns narrow.

A restaurant located on Velachery Main Road offers parking space, but customers prefer it to park vehicles on the roadside, locals lament. At times the traffic comes to a complete halt, they say. “This issue arises as many visitors park their vehicles on the road, ignoring the designated parking areas. A chain of shopping complexes in the area also adds to the congestion and weekends are the worst. We need better management and maybe the shopping complexes should pay attention to improper parking by their customers as it troubles commuters,” said Manish K, an employee at a restaurant in the locality.

Commuters have expressed frustration over the traffic jams, noting that chaos caused by vehicles jutting into the street disrupts the entire traffic system in the locality.

“It is a nightmare driving through Velachery Main Road in the evening hours from 07 pm to 10 pm. The shopping complexes nearby have a parking facility in their premises but people prefer to park outside in a haphazard manner. These vehicles cover the main road and create chaos for motorists and pedestrians, worsening the already heavy evening traffic,” said a part-time employee of a shopping complex in VOC Nagar.

The local traffic police officials lament they are forced to intervene to remove vehicles parked on the road every time.

“It is turning out to be a never-ending struggle as people violate rules. It makes traffic regulation difficult for about 3-5 km stretch because of illegal parking. As the problem is worsening, we plan to take strict action on those who are parking on the side of the roads. The shopping complexes have also been instructed to keep a watch on the vehicles coming to their premises, to ensure their vehicles don’t end up parked on the roads,” said a traffic police official.