CHENNAI: Teething troubles with the new traffic regulations along Anna Salai gave commuters a tough time on Saturday. The new rules that make a section of the arterial Anna Salai a one-way street, seemed to be welcomed by road-users, many of whom said it could have worked out smoother, had there been more awareness regarding the same. The real ironing-out of wrinkles is expected to happen from Monday, when the area will handle the full traffic load of a working day.Office-goers who took their usual route to their workplaces on Saturday morning found barricades and diversion signs at several junctions, affecting their schedule.Vehicles that were proceeding from Anna Statue near the New Secretariat building to Gemini Flyover were diverted at the Wellington junction towards Whites Road. This affected employees of several private firms lined up on the stretch between Wellington and Pattulos Road as they had to take a long detour to get back on the other side of Anna Salai to get to their offices.Similarly, those proceeding towards Binny Road near Spencer Plaza from Anna Statue had to take a long detour via General Patters Road, where the existing one-way was reversed, into Whites Road, which was made one-way from Royapettah clock tower. They then used the Smith Road to get back on Anna Salai. Even ambulances were stopped from using the one-way stretch as construction activities for underground Metro stations had begun. Though traffic started to pile up near Thousands Lights around 10.30 am and again at 4:30 pm, police officers stepped in quickly to regulate the flow. However, commuters proceeding towards Egmore from Anna Salai via Langs Garden Road in the evening were irked as the police had allowed a procession by a political party, further slowing down traffic. Most police officers expressed anxiety over the new arrangement. Some said that the real test of the new traffic routes would be on Monday, when all offices would start functioning. “Most of the government banks and offices on Anna Salai were closed today so there was lesser traffic to deal with. Monday will be a very tough day,” said a senior police officer, adding that all will be well once people get accustomed to the new arrangement. Commuters said that the police should have done more to create awareness on the new routes. “They could have placed banners announcing the change a few days ago,” said J Sundar, a painting contractor who frequents between Nungambakkam and Ritchie Street several times a day.
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