Chennai: Crossing road near Tidel Park is a life or death question

CHENNAI: Crossing the road at the OMR-ECR intersection near Tidel Park is a nightmare for pedestrians, in the absence of a traffic signal. When TOI visited the spot on Sunday morning, it was complete chaos, with vehicles zipping across non-stop in all directions. There was no foot over-bridge or police personnel to regulate things.Lokesh G, a college student, said he had to wait for 15 minutes to move from a spot adjacent to the Thiruvanmiyur MRTS to the other side along the IT Corridor. “In the evenings, the lack of bright streetlights makes matters worse,” he said. “If I am not on my toes, I am afraid I will meet with an accident,” he added.Between 2017 and 2021, as per a recent study by Chennai-based urban planner Karthikeyan Baskar, the most number of accidents involving pedestrians were reported from the IT Corridor, Koyambedu and George Town. In the IT Corridor, two-wheelers and cars caused the most of the accidents with a majority occurring between 7pm and 6am.As per Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) accident data for 2019, the OMR-ECR intersection reported more accidents (19 to 34) than other spots along the IT Corridor. “The stretch is not designed with pedestrians in mind. There should be pedestrian refuge islands, crossings, timed signals and better lighting,” said Santhosh Loganaathan, deputy manager with ITDP.“We have noted the issue and officials will go for inspection soon,” said joint commissioner of traffic (south) N M Mylvahanan.