CHENNAI: To manage the swelling crowd and vehicles reaching T Nagar for Deepavali purchase, traffic police has roped in local schools to serve as additional parking spaces during peak hours.
With corporation’s parking spaces overflowing with the shopping hub witnessing lakhs of people turning up ahead of Deepavali, schools will provide the necessary space to park excess vehicles.
The Ramakrishna mission higher secondary school, Saradha Vidyalaya girls’ higher secondary school, the Corporation higher secondary school in Panagal park will accommodate vehicles during peak hours to ease the parking problem across Usman road.
“A rise in footfall proportionately increases the number of vehicles entering T Nagar. These schools have agreed to help traffic police by providing parking spaces in the evening and also when necessary,” said a traffic police official. On Sunday, more than five lakh people thronged T Nagar for Deepavali shopping and the number is expected to soar till the festival comes to an end.
Meanwhile, route diversions for autos and commercial vehicles have been effected to ease the choked Usman road. “Share autos and auto rickshaws must take the Maharaja Santhanam Salai, Coats road, Duraisamy service road or go along Panagal Park to go around Usman road,” the police official said. “This may not be in effect throughout the day. When traffic congestion is low, these vehicles will be allowed to use the road,” he added.
CCTV cameras have also been installed in various pockets of Chennai to monitor the crowd.
