Haphazard parking chokes Guindy-Kathipara stretch

CHENNAI: One of the busiest stretches of GST Road lies between Guindy and the Kathipara flyover. Motorists heading to the Alandur Metro station, the airport, St Thomas Mount and the flyover use the corridor, keeping it busy throughout the day. During peak hours, the stretch becomes severely congested, often resulting in tailbacks that affect not just commuters but also emergency services such as ambulances. K Ben (33) of Ramapuram, who works in a private firm on Anna Salai, said, Almost on all weekdays when Im driving back home, theres congestion right outside the Guindy Railway Station entrance. With cabs, auto rickshaws and other private vehicles dropping off and picking up people, the traffic becomes slow moving. When TNIE visited the spot, vehicles, including share autos, were seen parked not only near the railway station entrance, but also outside the petrol bunks, slowing down vehicle movement. In the late evenings and night hours, the situation worsens, as another offender omni buses hits the road. Already affected by slow-moving traffic, the stretch gets choked further as these buses park near roadside hotels. J Meena of Alandur said, The traffic issue is getting worse day after day. Youd think your struggle is over after crossing the railway station and the petrol bunks, but there is one more hurdle. The restaurants and their parking issues. While there is a designated parking place for the restaurants, the people who visit the eateries park their cars on the road itself, sometimes guided by the restaurants security personnel. Speaking to TNIE, a senior officer of the Greater Chennai Traffic Police (GCTP) said, We are aware of the issues affecting the traffic along the stretch. We have deployed traffic marshals to regulate the vehicles that are parked on the road. Long-term solutions are being discussed to all the existing issues which will be taken care of soon.