[CGB]

Originally Posted by Prodigy07

GST Road is becoming a real PAIN these days.

The stretch from Chromepet Bus stop till Vetri theatre is in a very very bad shape.

Closed after laying pipes, but reopened for a issue again. Adding to the spice is saravana stores signal that completely chokes the traffic after chromepet bus stand.

They have dug a huge pit near Vetri theatre since yesterday evening.

Stretch from Pallavaram signal till Airport flyover also has huge pile up post 6pm!

Due to a flyover construction after pallavaram signal which is useless.

On weekends, especially fridays, after 8, all the private buses park hapazhardly near the chromepet bus stop and creating a unwanted traffic snarl by occupying 2/3rd of the road towards tambaram. Better find alternative routes!

[hamster]

To avoid the mess around the flyover construction before Pallavaram (while coming from Guindy), there is a left at the ALSTOM(erstwhile English electricals) which avoids the signal (turn off to Pammal/Anakaputhur). May be this might help for a little while.

Regarding the Chromepet dug up after the Bus stop, remember seeing it for around a year now. No escape route for this.

Avoiding the GST stretch from Vandalur onwards these days and using the Vandalur-ORR-Thirumudivakkam exit- Thiruneermalai-Pammal for my office-home commute these days.

[Prodigy07]

Just like any normal working day, I was driving at a steady 50km/hr on the GST Road listening to soothing Bhajan.

Then suddenly near the upcoming PVR cinemas at Meenambakkam, the vehicles ahead of me abruptly changed their lanes without signalling.

I sensed something was wrong and gradually reduced my speed.

Then, all of a sudden, I see a buffalo calf in my lane.
Due to the speed and dense traffic the poor animal was shaken!

I managed to drive carefully through the small gap between the buffalo and the entry point of the Airport flyover.

I didn't want to slam my brakes (or) change lanes abruptly as the result would be disastrous given the way our people tailgate vehicles.

The situation in Chennai is slowly returning back to normalcy and thank god I didn't end up creating trouble

[Thad E Ginathom]

It would be nice if local members updated this thread with events that affect the city such as what happened yesterday, especially when there are road closures.

Don't have a TV; it wouldn't have been on in the day anyway. Was about to head out to a concert in the evening. Luckily I messaged a rasika friend who told me to stay put in the house! Only then I looked at internet news and had a shock.

[Gokrish]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

It would be nice if local members updated this thread with events that affect the city such as what happened yesterday, especially when there are road closures.

Don't have a TV; it wouldn't have been on in the day anyway. Was about to head out to a concert in the evening. Luckily I messaged a rasika friend who told me to stay put in the house! Only then I looked at internet news and had a shock.

I was hesitant to update here as I had not seen any such update earlier in this thread! However, we have a WhatsApp group for Chennai TBHPians where we update on issues like this regularly!

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by Gokrish

I was hesitant to update here as I had not seen any such update earlier in this thread! However, we have a WhatsApp group for Chennai TBHPians where we update on issues like this regularly!

I'm sure it would be fine to post on this thread. The title seems to fit!

I have tended to avoid all Whatsapp groups with more than two or three members due to the volume of traffic --- but now I understand that I should indeed join this one!

[BLACKBLADE]

I love driving in Chennai. I come from a town and it is always fascinating to be in a happening city like Chennai where the general mood is upbeat and the ambience busy. You could feel a general sense of urgency and everything moving at a fast pace,any time of the day. Love to soak in the sights and scenes. I would always wonder where are so many people heading to? During my initial days when driving in bumper to bumper traffic, when all your degrees of freedom will be arrested by vehicles on all sides, used to feel a little claustrophobic , but then it is amazing to see how I have adopted to drive a few centimetres close to other vehicles. A test for your patience and sharpness !

Sure there is a lack of lane discipline and violation of traffic rules by some folks. But there are good drivers and even better enthusiasts who drive reverently. The roads in the city are great too.

[Prodigy07]

Chennai Traffic Update

Our Beloved President is in Chennai today.

The entire stretch from Ashok Pillar till Olympia Tech Park was clogged. Then, the stretch from Alstom Signal (before Pallavaram) till Saravana Stores Chrompet was packed.

Traffic was moving at snail's pace.

It took 1 hr and 30 min to travel 17 kms :(

Worried about the traffic on GST road in the evening!

[hserus]

Posted on facebook by a friend of a friend

@chennaitrafficpolice

I was driving out of my gate today when a car carrying the seal of a high Court judge (car no. 786) swerves to cut me out, later muscles past another ordinary car and speeds away driving on any side of the road. Don't know if the judge was in the car. Wonder how he/she will view Road accident cases and pass judgement. And just as I was pondering that philosophical issue, a police car (TN 07 CH 1550 i think) whizzes past me on the wrong side, noses in and makes a turn a full 0.2 seconds ahead of me. This guy must think he is at the Olympics.

If these are the keepers of the law, quo vadis?

[anvara]

Originally Posted by hserus

quo vadis?

I always thought the law was never meant to be for the law makers and more for the commoners or am I wrong?

On a serious note, even if you were to complain I seriously doubt any action would be taken on these errant drivers.

Drive safe and save your skin guys

[kutoos]

Chennai Folks,
I'll be visiting Chennai ths weekend. Since teh Metro Rail is now part operational, how far is the metro terminal from the airport terminal?
I live in Alandur (Close to Mount station), so are there direct services to mount or is it mandatory to change service at Alandur?

Before you all crucify me, the objective of using the metro is just for novelty purposes. I've my kids in tow and they would be thrilled to ride on one. Hence the question

Cheers

[tud]

Originally Posted by kutoos

Chennai Folks,
I'll be visiting Chennai ths weekend. Since teh Metro Rail is now part operational, how far is the metro terminal from the airport terminal?
I live in Alandur (Close to Mount station), so are there direct services to mount or is it mandatory to change service at Alandur?

Before you all crucify me, the objective of using the metro is just for novelty purposes. I've my kids in tow and they would be thrilled to ride on one. Hence the question

Cheers

Metro terminal is close to Domestic and Intl Airport. Buy tickets to St Thomas Mount. Take the metro to Alandur. At Alandur change to the train that goes to St Thomas Mount (could be on the same level or a level above).

With family in tow, its better to take a cab - it will be far cheaper than the metro to St Thomas Mount. Again saves the hassle of taking luggage from one train to another. Just take a joy ride another day from St Thomas Mount to Koyambedu and back.

[Gansan]

Originally Posted by kutoos

Chennai Folks,
I'll be visiting Chennai ths weekend.

Since you live close to Mount station, if there is not much luggage, walk across the GST Road (use subway) to Tirisulam suburban station and take a train to Mount @ Rs 5.00 per head. It is the easiest.

If there is luggage, take a cab. From Mount metro station, which is close to Mount Suburban station, you can easily take a joy ride later!

[kutoos]

Originally Posted by tud

Just take a joy ride another day from St Thomas Mount to Koyambedu and back.

Yes looks like will have to embark separately. With luggage and kids it is not easy to change services.

Originally Posted by Gansan

If there is luggage, take a cab. From Mount metro station, which is close to Mount Suburban station, you can easily take a joy ride later!

Yes Gansan, Cab it is. Will reach much quicker. Thanks for the reply.

[esoticoreventon]

Did anyone get caught in traffic jam on the Kathipara Junction this morning? A movie director along with a group 100 people and blocked the Flyover on both sides, causing 3 KM long traffic pile up, and causing nearly an hour delay. These people were protesting to support the protest of the farmers in New Delhi to waiver their loans and compensate for the crop loss.

Now how does it make sense to block a public road to get attention of the central government? The people on the roads could have missed their flights, hospital appointments, office meetings, even Ambulances might have been caught.

What should be done in such a situation? These kinds of protests that disrupt the normal life seems to be on the rise lately. Shouldn't a law be made to deal with this menace more sternly?

The objective of the protest wasn't to benefit the farmers, but to the director himself. This was merely an attention grabbing moment for the director. If he truly cared about the farmers shouldn't he have taken legal permission and made his voice be heard by the government? Or fly to New Delhi and join the farmers in their protest? How is disrupting the everyday life of citizens a proper way of protest? The director was arrested and is probably released by now and he has gotten the attention he was seeking, but what about the people? Who is going to compensate for the non-refundable ticket for a flight that was missed? Who is going to give back the time that was lost by people getting to meetings?

It is a citizen's right to protest against the government, I am not against that, but why cause inconvenience to the general public, and hold an illegal protest? How hard is it to get police permission and shout at the government rather than people going about their everyday work?

Link to the news item:
http://www.newindianexpress.com/citi...s-1593209.html