As it enables motorists to circumvent Lattice Bridge Road, which is often chock-a-bloc with vehicles and has many signals, motorists seeking to reach East Coast Road from Thiru-Vi-Kaa bridge or vice versa are drawn to Besant Avenue Road. This road also provides access to the Besant Nagar beach, and during the weekend, many beach-goers can be seen using it. Motorists who are accustomed to taking this road, tend to take it even at night, for the quiet it provides. Walkers are drawn to this stretch for the same reason. Given this fact, it is surprising that Besant Avenue Road lacks noticeable police patrolling, which is necessary especially at night. There is not even a small police booth for people to access in an emergency. Most parts of the stretch are deserted, and this can be deadly at night. Except for a few speed breakers, the stretch is strikingly lacking in safety features. There are no reflectors, warning signboards at sharp turns or barricades to prevent rash driving. The profuse greenery blocks the illumination from lamps. There are no CCTV cameras on the stretch, a factor that can embolden anti-socials to strike. “It’s scary to walk on the stretch during evening hours as we can see only a few people sharing the road with us. A few days ago, two men on a motorcycle robbed a woman of a handbag. At that time, only a few senior citizens were present on the stretch. Police presence at least in the form of a booth or patrol vehicle will act as a deterrent to history-sheeters,” says S. Parvathi Devi, a resident of Besant Nagar. During weekends, there is an added dimension to the danger on Besant Avenue Road. Making use of the lack of police patrolling, youngsters engage in rash driving on this stretch. “A few barricades have been placed at accident prone spots on the stretch. More safety measures will be taken in future,” said police sources.

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