School students crossing the Palayamkottai main road as vehicles ply.
| Photo Credit: RAJESH N
Key junctions in Thoothukudi city lack traffic police presence during the evening hours, leaving school students struggling to navigate heavy traffic and increasing concerns about their safety during peak commuting times.The schools reopened after summer vacation on Thursday and it has been noticed that the absence of traffic police at major points such as Miller Puram, Third Mile, AR Camp road and other school zones has forced the students and parents to cross the road by signalling the vehicles to stop briefly in order to make their way cross.The situation has raised major concerns among the public, as the city is growing everyday and vehicle movement is also increasing. People risking themselves to cross the road poses a serious threat to their safety.According to sources from Thoothukudi traffic wing, the city has over 40 major points but the strength currently stands at only 20 personnel. He added that as the city expanded it has become crucial to increase the strength of the force; however no actions were taken so far to augment the manpower.An official from Thoothukudi traffic wing said that traffic police are being regularly deployed at above mentioned points in the morning hours. However, in the evening hours they are being posted at other zones to regulate vehicle movement.He added that both the second and fourth gate require eight police on a daily basis, and this has significantly led to affecting the strength available at other points in the city.He added that measures will be taken to deploy traffic police at required points and school zones in the city to ensure the safety of students. Published - June 05, 2026 07:51 pm IST
