CHENNAI: M Radhakrishnan, of NGO Thozhan, who founded the accident-free nation project, has been carrying out research on city roads and congested junctions for over eighty years. Excerpts from an interview:
Why is the city unable to resolve its traffic woes?
The city requires a separate traffic plan. As per our surveys, Chennai has the highest vehicular density, and this has only increased with every year. For in
stance, in 2015, about 10 vehicles passed per90 seconds in Pondy bazaar. In 2020, it was about 60 vehicles. In MGR market near Nesapakkam, four lakh vehicles travel every day and the road continues to be one way, causing a lot of traffic congestion. There is very little planning.
Several projects were proposed, but none helped reducecongestion. Why?
The projects are not proposed or implemented with the futuristic traffic population in mind. They just look at quick fixes without any
data or research. If we don’t take up research and planning now, in five years, the city’s roads will get choked.
What do you think will resolve theissues?
Every area in the city is unique and hasits own characteristics. Some are markets, some residential areas while some are amix of both. We need area-based, microlevel solutions and that is possible only with local g o v e r n a n c e . A separate wing should be set up to suggest and implement solutions at the ground level.
