Special Committee Likely to Tackle Traffic Chaos on Velachery 100ft Road

With thousands of vehicles crisscrossing the Velachery 100ft Road connecting the Velachery Main Road and Vijayanagar Junction, traffic bottlenecks can be seen in the evenings. Unregulated parking and roadside vendors occupying footpaths and vehicle movement at random have made this stretch of road a daily nightmare for pedestrians and commuters alike.

To tackle these issues, a special committee of officials from the Greater Chennai Traffic Police (GCTP) and the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) will likely be formed. The committee will evaluate the encroachments and recommend actionable steps to facilitate the flow of traffic, police sources said.

Things have gone out of control with both sides of the road lined with parked vehicles and the roadside eateries mega-packed with customers. M. Balakrishnan of the Tansi Nagar Welfare Association said there was an urgent need to implement structured interventions. “During weekends, the parking space reaches up to 25% of the road, and vendors occupy the majority of the road. The corporation must introduce paid parking bays and designated vending zones,” he said.

Adding to the woes, autorickshaw drivers usually do not take trips to Velachery because of traffic bottlenecks. K. Babu, an auto driver based in Adambakkam, expressed similar frustrations, explaining: “Even if a passenger offers an extra ₹50 to ₹70 to go to Velachery in peak hours on weekends, I decline. The traffic is unbearable.”

The residents share similar concerns. The issue was the same in all the areas, said Geetha Ganesh, secretary of AGS Colony Residents’ Welfare Association. “Authorities might react for a few days after complaints, but soon the chaos returns,” she said.

Rajamma, a flower vendor there for more than 35 years, noted that commercial establishments with no designated parking have also worsened the problem. “Pushcarts have become more numerous since the pandemic, and businesses like restaurants and gyms depend on roadside parking. It’s also caused pelo intrac with wrong-side driving,” she explained.

An official at the Corporation said unlicensed vendors caught by teams would be liable to spot fines. However, that will be difficult to do without immediately allocating land for dedicated parking space. A senior traffic officer said, “Soon, the proposed committee will recommend the concrete steps to remove encroachments and regulate parking for better traffic flow.”