(After posting this, the road was opened after maintenance and again became two way after a while without notice)Kind attention those who drive through Nalumukku junction, Pettah. The road from Pallimukku to kannammoola is closed for maintenance. Hence the road from Nalumukku to Kannammoola (earlier it was one-way down) is now open to two-way traffic. Means, anyone can travel from Vanchiyoor, Pattoor or Chackai through Nalumukku towards Kannammoola.
Above: road closure details at nalumukku
The photo on left shows the earlier situation, and the one on right shows current situation. In essence it is now a junction in which vehicles can move in all directions. So people who come from kannammoola please don't be surprised to see a convoy of vehicles against you. Is it too hard to give sufficient publicity well in advance so that people would be alerted? Well, do we need such a detailed information? Normally, by sheer commonsense, anyone can understand. But seeing the current behaviour of traffic at this place: traffic cones (red dots) are kept at the approach to kannammoola. Police officer(s) is there to direct you, they are trying hard, but who pays heed? People still assume the one-way to exist. So wave your hands and blink headlamps or be prepared for head on collision once you move towards kannammoola. Wonder if there is acute shortage of cones. What use keeping them at junction alone; where are the signs, by the way? Please, tying two safety tapes and keeping cones across road at two junctions are not just enough ... please direct the traffic too with appropriate signs.
Above: Traffic movements at Nalumukku Junction: Then and Now.
And what if an ambulance wants to rush to medical college? Today morning I saw a pedestrian crossing the traffic without a green signal for him. A XUV from kannammoola side was then seen stopping at the new entry for vehicles towards kannammoola, despite the police officer asking him to get to the other side of cones. Later came a private bus from pattoor, jumping red to turn to the right towards kannammoola, blocking my car and traffic from kannammoola all through the green allotted to them. We had to take a hair pin turn around the bus to face on-coming traffic which by the time had got green! What do these fellows think; that buses are like caterpillars that can bend to any extent at will? Needless to say, the vehicles are moving from Nalumukku to kannammoola (opposite to one way) as if they are driving on a race track !
Impatience is building up almost in all walks of life ... but on roads, it may kill ....
Dear brothers and sisters, those traffic cones and police standing under the sun are for your safety ... please obey the signs and instructions ... by saving one or two minutes we won't gain much, but in the process what we or others lose may not be just time.
