The Moolakulam junction, where three roads converge, is one of the busiest intersections in Puducherry.
| Photo Credit: S.S. KUMAR
The Moolakulam junction, one of the busiest in Puducherry, is fast turning into a major traffic bottleneck.
The stretch from Moolakulam to Indira Gandhi Square on Villianur Road is usually chock-a-block with heavy traffic not just during peak morning and evening hours but also at other times.
A major reason is that three roads – Perambai Road, Villianur Road, and Mettupalayam Road converge at the junction and the Villianur Road has not been widened yet.
The vehicular movement often gets hindered owing to the presence of vehicles parked on both sides of the Villianur Road.
The situation is particularly severe at Moolakulam where vehicles proceeding along the Villianur Road and those entering the same from the stretch connecting Mettupalayam Road jostle for space.
There are a number of private and government schools in the vicinity of Moolakulam and there is no attempt to regulate traffic. College buses and vehicles operated by private companies plying along this stretch compound the problem.
According to S. Prabhagaran, a resident of Arumparthapuram, “Traffic snarls are a perennial problem here. Traffic policemen are not present during peak hours and it is really scary to pass through the stretch to Indira Gandhi square because of the careless driving by vehicle owners. Heavy vehicles plying on this stretch contribute to the chaos.”
The number of vehicles has been increasing, and there is hardly any road or street without a long stretch of parked vehicles, he said.
“Puducherry’s limited road infrastructure has exposed how badly this city is to deal with a spurt in traffic and the consequent congestion. The tendency of the traffic police to rely on piecemeal measures is the main reason for the sorry state of affairs. A permanent traffic management plan is the immediate need of the hour,” said an urban planner.
Traffic police personnel say vehicular traffic has increased manifold over the past couple of years as several commercial establishments sprang up on either side of the junction.
“Steps have been taken to decongest the Moolakulam junction and improve the traffic flow. Additional home guards and traffic policemen will be deployed to address issues at overcrowded intersections,” a Traffic police officer said.