Citizen connect: Risky travel for motorists on pothole-ridden Balasubramanian Street at Villivakkam

Thousands of motorists, commuters and pedestrians use Balasubramanian Street to reach the railway station as well as the vegetable market every day. The stretch from the vehicular subway on Red Hills road to the railway station remainsbadly damaged.

Nithyanandam, an autorickshaw driver, said motorists struggle every day on the stretch. “The surface is uneven, especially at the place where we get onto the street from the service road near the subway. Many two-wheeler riders even fall down after losing their balance. The situation worsens during the rainy season, as potholes are filled with water and one cannot see the pits,” he said. Senior citizens and physically challenged persons find it very difficult to walk on the damaged and uneven surface, he added.

N Umapathy, a resident of SIDCO Nagar who uses the railway station for his daily commute, said this poor road condition has almost become a permanent fixture. “Nobody wants to repair the road here. Over the years, we have learnt to adjust and ride through the stretch because we do not have a choice,” he said. R Shanmugham, a shopkeeper at the market, blamed the Greater Chennai Corporation for neglecting the stretch. “We don’t remember when the road was last re-laid. The road surface is so badly damaged that people find it difficult to even walk on it. The Corporation should immediately re-lay the road,” he demanded. He also said that the civic body should remove the garbage dumped on the roadside in the stretch leading to the Villivakkam railway gate and ICF.

“Railway commuters also park their two-wheelers along the road even though there is a parking facility available. The parking of the vehicles reduces road space, and causes hardship to the public,” he added.

When contacted, a Corporation official said that they would repair the damaged portion of the Balasubramanian Street very soon.