CHENNAI: The frustration that comes out the moment you mention the word ‘traffic’ to most Chennaiites makes one wonder if the city is set to go the Delhi way on road rage. If general congestion on the roads wasn’t bad enough, traffic signals knocked out by the daily power cuts clearly seem to be the thin edge of the wedge for some road users.“It is ridiculous. Traffic signals are critical. They have to work to ensure the city doesn’t get gridlocked. Only if they work can traffic flow in a steady and organised manner,” feels P Vijayasarathi, a senior software engineer who commutes between Gill Nagar and Siruseri every day. “I didn’t mind the power cuts when they started, but it just feels like we have been caught with our pants down. It is ridiculous that the signals go out,” he adds.Fortunately for Vijayasarathi, he does not drive to and from work. He takes a cab sent to him by his employer. Those who do ply their own vehicles despair at the very thought of commuting. Take for instance Kritthika Selvi, who lives in Valasaravakkam and rides a scooter to her workplace on Nungambakkam High Road. “I just got married recently and had to shift to my husband’s house in Valasaravakkam. Do you know how many signals there are on the way?” she complains, adding that her daily ride to work is one of perpetual chaos.“We are looking for an affordable house closer to my workplace. And that means my husband will have to travel through more traffic to get to his office. It will almost be like I take some of my signals and give it to him. I guess we have to figure it out, before I go all psycho on some traffic cop. Chennai is becoming like Banagalore when it comes to traffic,” says Selvi, a marketing professional.
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