Southern States - Tamil Nadu

Rule violation, haphazard parking add to traffic woes

By Our Staff Reporter

PALANI JUNE 4 . The persistent traffic congestion on the main roads in Palani has been posing a grave threat to school children and pedestrians.

The worst affected are students, as they have to wade through heavy vehicles. The number of vehicles coming to the town has been increasing every day. At present, buses coming from Coimbatore, Dharapuram, Erode, Vellakoil, and Udumalpet have been passing through Convent Road, Post Office Road and TB Road, to reach the bus stand. The rapid increase in the number of two-wheelers has also added to the problem.

According to the 2001 census, population in the Palani taluk has increased by 7.74 per cent. The increase in the number of schools and other educational institutions too has contributed to the traffic flow. The movement of four wheelers has increased, thanks to the arrival of tourists, particularly from Kerala.

The situation is worse during the festival days, as most State Transport Corporations operate special buses, and the floating population is estimated at one lakh a day. The existing roads and the central bus stand could not cope with such a huge crowd.

Though the municipality has removed encroachments to some extent, vendors still occupy most of the main roads.

Unfortunately, politicians and the district administration have been engaged in endless discussions on the expansion of the bus stand. In the past decade, many sites were selected and rejected for various reasons. Finally, the tail portion of the Vaiyapuri tank was selected. On March 12 last year, the former Minister, I. Periasamy, laid the foundation stone for the Rs. 6.45-crore project. Later, that too was abandoned, as the Government decided not to disturb the water source. An alternative site, near the compost yard, was identified. Meanwhile, the Commissioner for Municipal Administration, Jayakodi, who visited the town recently, said the existing bus stand could be expanded.

While many councillors insisted on shifting the bus stand to the outskirts, keeping in mind the future needs, traders and a section of the people demanded that the bus stand be expanded.

The poor strength of traffic police, haphazard parking and rampant violation of road rules have aggravated the problem. It is common to see buses waiting on the main roads to find parking space in the bus stand.

Streamlining the movement of buses, better traffic regulation and stern action against violators alone will ensure the safety of the people, especially that of school students.

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