The Hindu : Bank official fatally hit by MTC bus on Kodambakkam bridge

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Oct 09, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu-Chennai

Bank official fatally hit by MTC bus on Kodambakkam bridge

By K. Manikandan

CHENNAI OCT. 8. A bank official was crushed to death by an MTC bus on the Kodambakkam bridge this morning, prompting many road users to react to safety measures recently undertaken by the city traffic police. Only last Wednesday, a college student was killed on the spot by an MTC bus on the College Road.

Nagaraj (51), a resident of North Usman Road in T.Nagar, was proceeding on his two-wheeler to the Kodambakkam branch of the Central Bank of India, where he was employed. On the Kodambakkam bridge, he was knocked down by an MTC bus (Registration No. TN-01-N-2061) coming in the opposite direction. Nagaraj was killed on the spot, even as other road users watched the accident in horror.

The MTC bus (Route No. 25G) driver, Chitti Babu, has been arrested. Nagaraj is survived by his wife and a son.

According to traffic police officials, the bus allegedly violated the yellow line. The line itself faded on the bridge, and there are deep perpendicular pits on the road surface.

The accident that took place at 8-30 a.m. threw traffic out of gear on Arcot Road. The police officials, however, said they were able to clear the traffic snarl soon. Negotiating the Kodambakkam bridge is a traumatic experience for motorists, especially during peak hours.

On some occasions, the police have intervened directly, by posting personnel on the bridge, to ensure that the peak-hour traffic does not go out of control. MTC buses, tourist taxis and two-wheeler riders tend to swerve to the wrong side in a bid to overtake, leading to accidents. A few days ago, an autorickshaw was hit by an oncoming vehicle at about 10 p.m. A multiple collision involving call taxis took place, injuring many, a few weeks ago, again just past 10 p.m.

The solution to decongesting the Kodambakkam bridge was proposed in the form of a subway or flyover at the Rangarajapuram level-crossing nearby. This will connect West Mambalam and T.Nagar. Proposals for a flyover were also pursued by the Chennai Corporation and councillors, as also the T.Nagar MLA, but there has been slow progress in the matter, residents said.

Lighting on the bridge is also poor, and residents say the police have not taken such basic road safety issues seriously.

Only recently, traffic police officials began to mark fatal accident spots on the city roads, apart from "bad patches", such as manhole covers amid incomplete civic work as part of road safety measures.

Officials said they were exploring the possibility of setting up centre medians on all arterial roads where there was flow of traffic on both directions. This, they said, would bring down the accident level considerably.

However, motorists say the police are yet to introduce such medians on dangerous and congested parts. Anna Salai's Gemini flyover, descending into Thousand Lights point, always experiences traffic jams, as traffic turning into Peters Road blocks other lanes. A lane demarcation up to the junction would streamline the traffic here, they contend.

On G.N.Chetty Road, the medians are made up of loose stones between the Gurudwara and Vijayaraghava Road junction, which are dislodged by bicycle and two-wheeler riders for their convenience, to enter Prakasam Street. This has led to a road safety hazard.

Closer to today's accident spot, the North Usman Road one way is routinely violated by lorries, autorickshaws and two-wheelers, with no visible response from the police. The Chennai Corporation's Zone Eight has also a created road safety hazard in the area, by leaving the United India Colony First Main Road, an arterial road, in a shamble after Metrowater work was completed months ago.

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