Frequent traffic snarls on VOC Road near the Central bus stand due to haphazard parking of private omnibuses has irked motorists and road users in Tiruchi.
The VOC Road, which is one of the major roads around the bus stand, links the Collector’s Office Road with the rear side of the Central bus stand. Parking of private omnibuses on the roadside has not only been hampering the free flow of traffic in the stretch during peak hours but also poses a threat to both pedestrians and motorists.
Since the omnibus terminus stopped functioning from the Railway land near the SETC Bus Stand, following the expiry of the lease period, the operators now halt their fleets on the roads around the bus stand, causing bottlenecks near the congested area and making it difficult for road users.
“As the road has apartments, wedding halls, a clothing store and a prayer hall, and vehicles visiting these places are parked on road. During such times, buses entering the road choke the entire vehicular movement,” said S. Ravi, a resident of Cantonment.
Considering the narrow and steep curves of the road, residents and road safety activists made multiple representations to traffic police to regulate the movement of government and private mofussil buses through VOC Road, but no steps have been taken so far.
Parked on either side of the road, omnibuses cause heavy congestion during weekends and peak hours. “The buses occupy more than half of the road, and the haphazard parking leads to severe traffic congestion. We hope the police take steps to regulate traffic on the road,” said P. Ayyarappan, a road safety activist.
When contacted, B. Joseph Nixon, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Traffic, said that they have been taking efforts to regulate the vehicular movement on the stretch. “We will intensify the drive to check roadside parking and warn operators who park their vehicles on main roads to pick up passengers, disrupting traffic movement,” he added.
