Saidapet residents stop traffic, seek signal

CHENNAI: Peak-hour traffic came to a grinding halt for over two hours at the arterial traffic junction opposite to the metropolitan magistrate’s court in Saidapet, after residents blocked the road demanding the restoration of a traffic signal and construction of a subway.At present, the road from Raj Bhavan to Little Mount is one-way and a foot overbridge was constructed to enable pedestrians and staff, litigants and visitors of the court to cross the busy stretch. On Monday morning, about 200 residents of Venkatapuram blocked the road on Anna Salai near Little Mount, demanding the removal of the foot overbridge, claiming that it was too high and children and elderly people found it difficult to use it. They wanted the restoration of the traffic signal there. The residents also demanded the construction of a subway. Senior police officials arrived on the scene and pacified the protesters, promising to place their demands before the government. The residents then dispersed.