Signals on the blink ‘for police officers’

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: It is traffic chaos at Sree Moolam Club (SMC) junction at Vazhuthacaud most of the time as motorists themselves are forced to manage the traffic at the crossing as the traffic lights remain defunct and the police absent.

While the traffic police maintains that the proximity of two signal lights (including the one at Vazhuthacaud junction) leads to accumulation of vehicles, reliable sources said some senior police officials turned off the signals at SMC junction two year back.

Incidentally, the SMC junction is a stone throw away from police headquarters and state police chief T. P. Senkumar had recently issued a directive that no traffic restrictions should be enforced for hassle-free movement of the bosses.

“There is no basis for the claim that proximity of two signals could lead to overcrowding vehicles. The distance between the signals at Palayam and the war memorial are also too short. But there is no accumulation of vehicles as the signals are synchronised,” City Road Improvement Project director Anil Kumar Pandala said.

City traffic police (North) circle inspector P. Niyaz said police personnel were deployed there to regulate traffic though the signals were kept idle.

But local people say police personnel would be regulating the traffic only during the peak hours and during the rest of the time motorists themselves have to do the job.

“Often there is utter chaos as vehicles to three directions meet at the centre of the road leading to collisions and arguments,” said auto-rickshaw driver Balachandran. However, the police officials blame it on the lack of road manners.

“Such chaotic situations on roads are due to reluctance of motorists to follow lane manners and road rules,” said a circle inspector.