Nellore roads turn ‘shortcut to hell’

Nellore: The delay in widening roads, coupled with encroachments by business establishments and street venders leading to frequent traffic jam in the city. Establishment of traffic islands has escalated the problems further.

It may be recalled that a study conducted by the then SP E Damodar and traffic management expert Prof Murthy of Osmania University suggested widening of roads and reducing traffic islands’ size to the minimum, to ensure better visibility at junctions. But neither suggestion was implemented.

The 150-foot wide Trunk Road shrinks to 70 feet with traders encroaching both sides of the road and traffic islands occupying more space.

According to sources, not less than 2,000 vehicles, including city buses, per hour pass through Atmakur bus stand centre, Gandhi Bomma centre, Subedar Pet, VRC, AC Vegetable Market and Chinna Bazar, making these areas as ‘short cut to hell’.

The situation became worse with the political leaders setting up mini parks and fountains with giant size cutouts of late leaders at different places in the town.

The two traffic islands at Nippo Center with in a gap of 5 feet and Mahatma Gandhi statue and 10-foot height statue of former CM Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy and Anam Chenchu Subbareddy at AC Centre is a major hindrance to the smooth flow of traffic. These statues prevent a clear view of roads resulting in frequent accidents.

Without proper massive transport system, about 10,000 people, who come to Nellore city from 25 nearby villages every day on various works, have to depend on their own vehicles or autorickshaws.

More than 20,000 autorickshaws, 50 private bus services, around 15 lakh two wheelers, more than 5,000 cars will be moving daily in and around the city.

About one and a half decade ago, traffic island at Gandhi Bomma Centre was reduced to 3 feet against its original radius of 5 feet with the initiation of former SP Vishal Gunny. But later he dropped such efforts due to intervention of politicos, who seriously opposed reduction of traffic islands.

Even the municipal administration’s proposal to widen roads at Trunk Road, Subedar Pet, Chinna Bazar areas in 2012 by was dropped in the middle with the involvement of Congress leaders.

K Ramu of Bakthavatchala Nagar in the city lamented that there is no guarantee for people’s life, who travel on two-wheelers, as no one knows what will happen in the next minute. “What is the need to construct such big traffic islands, which are causing traffic snarls?” he questioned.

A senior police official opined that smooth flow of traffic in the city is possible only after road widening and there is no alternative for this problem.