Chennai traffic cops remove troublesome barricades on Old Mahabalipuram Road

Chennai: A day after Deccan Chronicle carried a report on how ‘sponsored’ barricades on IT highway aka Old Mahabalipuram Road has become a cause for traffic snarls on the busy IT highway, police on Monday removed all the troublesome barricades making the road more user friendly one.

After reviewing enforcement on OMR the traffic police on Monday evening removed all the barricades, which were placed with no strategy but to block free flow of vehicles. The remaining barricades are meant to help pedestrians to cross the road where there are no foot overbridge near by, a senior police officer said.

A review on OMR traffic enforcement was held by P. Nagarajan, joint commissioner (traffic), and then it was decided to remove a good number of barricades causing traffic snarls during rush hours.

Residents on OMR had been suggesting that speed bumps, instead of barricades, would be enough to reduce the speed of the vehicles, like many roads in the city. “Even East Coast Road have speed breakers. So why not on OMR?” asked Muniyandi, professional driver, who frequents takes the OMR and ECR.