Chennai: Commuters using the main entrance of Chennai Egmore Railway Station are facing severe inconvenience during peak hours owing to traffic congestion, haphazard parking, and encroachments on Gandhi-Irwin Road.
Barricades and Parking Woes
Passengers said barricades near the entrance have made pick-up and drop-off difficult. The stretch is especially clogged between 3 am and 7 am and again from 3 pm till late at night. The pavement opposite the station, near the Tamil Nadu State Archives, has been taken over by more than 20 eateries and street vendors. Several have set up open kitchens and display boards on the footpath. Further along Gandhi-Irwin Road, at least a dozen eateries, including biryani outlets, have encroached on pedestrian space, with kitchens spilling onto the pavement and customers parking on the roadside.
Commuters Share Ordeals
Martin Samuel, 52, who arrived by the Kanniyakumari Superfast Express on Saturday morning, said it took him nearly 30 minutes to locate his cab outside the station even though the driver had reached in 15 minutes. “Vehicles were parked haphazardly, and the cab had to move at a snail’s pace to reach the pick-up point,” he said. More than 100 two-wheelers were parked in front of the ticket counter on Poonamallee High Road, blocking access. “We keep telling people not to park here, but they argue and still leave their bikes. It’s a daily nuisance,” a security guard said, adding that some vehicles remain parked for two to three days. On the archives side of the station, no railway police or state police personnel regulate vehicle movement.
Another commuter, M Karthikeyan, said, “Most of the time buses are not parked in the marked bays at the bus stand. When a bus is parked in the middle of the road for boarding passengers, at least 20 vehicles pile behind. The space is so small that it can accommodate only eight to 10 cars at a time. Auto drivers block even that space to canvas for customers inside the station premises.”
Official Response and Measures
Railway officials said the barricades would be removed after redevelopment work is completed. They said illegal parking is a major cause of congestion and that traffic police have been asked to divert vehicles to a newly opened multi-level parking facility. Traffic police officials did not comment.
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About the Author: Christopher Miltus is a reporter who gives a strong voice to the people of Chennai and Tambaram. He writes with a serious eye on civic issues, from roads and drains to waste management and public safety. Water supply and sewerage are areas he follows closely, making sure authorities are held accountable. At the same time, Christopher enjoys picking up off-beat stories and tracking the latest trends that excite today’s youth.
