Bricklin Road thrown out of kilter

A couple of days ago, Lakshmanswamy, a resident of a gated community on Bricklin Road, received sage counsel from a cab driver, and he has committed that advice to heart. Lakshmanswamy had booked the cab from Ambattur, and at the entrance of Bricklin Road, the vehicle was stuck and would not enter it as if an invisible but heavy-duty iron barrier had come up before it. Lakshmanswamy recalls how a stubborn logjam in Bricklin Road had kept vehicles rooted where they were, and after waiting for what seemed an eternity to him, the driver threw up his hands in despair. “If you walk the distance to your home, you will make it faster on foot than by wheels,” said the cab driver.

And then came that “counsel for the road”. Always book your cab up to this point, never to any location on that road. Lakshmanswamy does not think the cab driver was being rude, just offering kind advice. 

Bricklin Road on August 28, 2026. 
| Photo Credit:
PRINCE FREDERICK

In recent times, residents of Bricklin Road have been struggling to cover the home stretch due to stormwater drain work that has shrunk the road and is horrifically slow-moving and causing traffic logjams. Residents of two gated communities, Lumbini Square and Arihant Vaikunth, have been diligently pursing the matter, taking it step by step with GCC officials, escalating it every time one step proves unhelpful.

“From the AE to the deputy commissioner, we have raised the issue with the officials, but the status quo continues,” notes Sanjay Bhansali, another resident. “Recently, residents of a slum located off Bricklin Road (called Thideer Nagar) launched a protest, seeking speedy completion of the stormwater drain. 

Karthik, another resident, notes that on Bricklin Road, encroachments by commercial establishments ought to be addressed as well. He expressed a sense of dread at the thought of what could happen to Bricklin Road if SPR City in Perambur became fully functional; at present, it is operating only at 70 per cent of its capacity, Karthink noted. “Bricklin Road is a straight road to SPR City and therefore the quickest,” Karthik added. “Having this development in view, encroachments by commercial establishments on Bricklin Road have to be cleared.”

While that is a worry for another day and should be treated as such, the one in the present needs to be addressed, which is the reduced carriageway for motorists and the absolute lack of walking space for pedestrians.