The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Traffic comes to a grinding halt

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, May 12, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Traffic comes to a grinding halt

Staff Reporter

Gridlock at Kathipara, Little Mount, Velachery because of traffic curbs

STERILE STRETCH: The Kathipara junction came to a standstill on Friday evening as the convoy of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi made its way to the Island Grounds for the felicitation of Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi on his completing 50 years as a legislator. — PHOTO: M. Vedhan

CHENNAI : Traffic came to a grinding halt for hours in south Chennai on Friday evening following traffic diversions for the substantial turnout of people come to attend the celebrations to mark Chief Minister M Karunanidhi's completion of 50 years as legislator.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress President Sonia Gandhi and other leaders arrived here to participate in the function organised at the Island Grounds.

The police had expected up to 10 lakh people to arrive in the city from all over the State to attend the celebrations. More than 10,000 policemen were deployed for bandobust across the city.

Snail's progress

Since noon, it was snail's progress for vehicles as the cadres started coming into the city.

The cadres and supporters came in about 15,000 vehicles. Dozens of vehicles were lined up in and around the ECR, OMR and other suburban locations.

As the diversions for public movement in the evening came into effect, crowds began to form on either side of most arterial roads. Pedestrians were also prevented from crossing roads at many intersections.

By 5 p.m., the police stopped all the vehicles and pedestrian movement from the airport to facilitate the Prime Minister's convoy reach the Island Grounds. As a result, a traffic gridlock developed at Kathipara junction, Little Mount, Velachery and the Raj Bhavan stretch.

About 100 commuters were caught unawares when the police blocked the stretch of Anna Salai from Wallajah Road junction to Peters Road junction. Commuters had to take a detour via Royapettah.

As the flyovers were blocked, commuters reached the Peters Road junction when an altercation ensued between the police and the motorists. The police asked the commuters to go back to Royapettah and make their own arrangements.

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