The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Rush-hour procession throws traffic out of gear

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Mar 10, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Rush-hour procession throws traffic out of gear

Staff Reporter

Buses, cars stuck in jams; commuters put to untold hardship

BACK-TO-BACK: Vehicles caught in a traffic gridlock on Anna Salai, a fallout of a political rally on Friday. — PHOTO: K. PICHUMANI

CHENNAI : Traffic on arterial Anna Salai and nearby areas went haywire from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday evening due to the rally taken out by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam women's wing members.

The rally, seeking implementation of 33 per cent reservation for women in Legislative bodies, commenced at the Munro Statue and ended near the State guest House at Wallajah Road. The Chief Minister and DMK party president M Karunanidhi and his senior cabinet colleagues witnessed the rally from a specially erected dais.

The police diverted vehicular traffic at several points to avoid congestion, but as the procession took over three hours to complete, traffic was thrown completely out of gear in the evening.

Motorists going from Parrys to the Marina (Beach Road) and Anna Salai among other parts were put to untold hardship. Policemen had a tough time in regulating the long queues as all the automatic signals in the entire area were switched off.

Vehicles proceeding from Poonamallee High Road, Central and parts of Egmore to Anna Salai and Kamaraj Salai were also stranded for over an hour. At least five ambulances were caught in the near standstill traffic block, motorists complained.

Motorists spoke out openly against permitting such rallies and processions that hampered large number of people, at a time when vehicle population is rising at an alarming rate. Apart from private vehicles and emergency services, the movement of Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) buses were also paralysed for hours.

As the office-goers were leaving for home, the buses were packed and women found it difficult to get into the vehicles. Autos and share autos made a quick buck, cashing in on people trying to reach their destinations faster.

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