The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Accident brings to light lapses of government agencies

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Monday, Jan 28, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Accident brings to light lapses of government agencies

K. Manikandan

TAMBARAM: The tragic accident inside the Metropolitan Transport Corporation terminus in Medavakkam near Tambaram on Sunday morning brought to light the failure on the part of various government agencies to maintain the facility properly.

The terminus has been in the centre of a controversy for some time now with the MTC buses rarely using the facility. It is located near the junction of arterial roads branching off to Madipakkam, Tambaram, Sholinganallur, Pallikaranai and Mambakkam. In order to de-congest the junction, it was decided to develop a bus terminus on a piece of land adjacent to the Velachery Main Road. However, only a few services of the MTC use the facility, while most of the government city buses continue to be parked at the junction, causing chaos throughout the day.

Parking lot

Some individuals are supposed to have begun collecting a parking fee from the truck drivers. In September last, Medavakkam panchayat authorities cracked down on lorry operators and those collecting the fee but did not take effective steps later and the problem resumed. Residents of Medavakkam, shocked and upset at the death of an eight-month-old girl child, her four-year-old brother and their young mother, attributed the accident to the failure of the Traffic Police (Enforcement) of St. Thomas Mount Range, the Medavakkam Panchayat and the MTC authorities.

Ensure use of facility

Had these government agencies worked together in proper maintenance of the facility and its misuse, the accident could have been avoided, they said.

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