Following last month’s accident near Ajeya Stadium in Avadi that claimed a boy’s life, the Heavy Vehicles Factory (HVF) has installed a digital traffic signal with CCTV cameras on Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Main Road. The digital traffic signal installed by HVF a week ago, has a timer and audio system for pedestrians to cross the junction at designated zebra-crossings. Following the accident, police personnel were deployed to monitor the movement of vehicles around the playground, near Ajeya Stadium. (It may be recalled that the boy met with the accident while practising at the playground near the stadium). Steps were also taken to install traffic signals with CCTV cameras. Until then, for nearly a year, HVF staff had been regulating traffic at the accident-prone junction manually, during rush hour. During the rest of the day, the junction would remain unmanned. A police patrol vehicle and a booth would be present near the junction to monitor the movement of vehicles, but traffic was regulated only during rush hour. CRPF Main Road belongs to HVF which maintains many vacant lands in the neighbourhood. The junction provides easy access to many defence establishments including Military Hospital, CRPF, OCF (Ordnance Clothing Factory), CVRDE, IAF, Engine Factory and Indian Navy. It also connects these establishments with the staff quarters and other residential spaces in the locality. In addition, more than a dozen schools including Kendra Vidyalayas and colleges are located near the junction. “During rush hour, the traffic congestion at the junction is considerably high as defence personnel, research scholars and scientists from CVRDE try to reach other defence establishments in the neighbourhood. Before installation of digital signals, accidents were rampant on the stretch as traffic was not regulated for most part of the day,” says K. Suresh, a resident of Avadi.

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