Urban News

The Hindu 07.01.2010

Proposals for improving road safety submitted

Staff Reporter

— Photo: M. Karunakaran

Mayor M.Subramanian inspecting a modified helmet designed by students of Anna University at ‘Chen Safe’ in Chennai on Tuesday. CMDA Member Secretary Vikram Kapur and College of Engineering, Guindy, Dean M.Sekar are in the picture.

CHENNAI: Pointing out that the explosive growth in the number of vehicles has made it extremely difficult for Chennai Corporation to keep pace by providing adequate infrastructure, Mayor M. Subramanian said that construction work on eight flyovers at various locations in the city is currently on.

“The flyover at Perambur junction will be opened for traffic by next month. Various other facilities like the provision of a lift at the Road Over-Bridge (ROB) in Nungambakkam will be inaugurated shortly,” he said.

He was speaking on Tuesday at the valedictory session of a two-day seminar on road user safety ‘Chen Safe’ jointly organised here by the College of Engineering, Guindy, and its Alumni Association.

Admitting that there is a lack of adequate infrastructure, Mr.Subramanian added that existing facilities, including ROBs, were not being utilised. “Infrastructure facilities along with proper public participation only can provide lasting solutions. Each citizen must love the city and work for its improvement instead of just leaving it to government authorities.”

As a result of the deliberations which took place at the seminar, 12 proposals for improving safety and traffic management in the city were submitted to the Mayor.

Some of these proposals were to revive traffic engineering and management cells in Chennai Corporation and in Highways Department to look into inadequate geometry of roads, giving pedestrians priority at least in areas where their movements are high, creating a traffic management school in Anna University to train in-service personnel and to relook at the methods used to issue driving licence. Stressing that focus must be on moving people, not vehicles, Vikram Kapur, Member-Secretary, Chennai Metropolitan Development Corporation (CMDA), said “Huge investments have been repeatedly made to cater to the needs of private motorised vehicles. We must not lose sight of the fact that 30 per cent of trips everyday across the city is by non-motorised means, which includes pedestrians and cyclists.”

While infrastructure services such as flyovers and road widening schemes must go ahead, he said, more attention has to be given to measures that make more people use public transport. “Limit the amount of road space available for private vehicles,” he said. Parking fee should be increased and a tax levied on vehicles entering busy commercial districts, he added. He said that authorities must not lose sight of pressing concerns by trying to become a city of grandeur with flyovers, Metro rails and expressways.

The Hindu 06.01.2010

Bus terminal project completion by March-end

Special Correspondent

Photo: M. Periasamy.

REVIEW: Mayor R. Venkatachalam (second left) and Coimbatore Corporation Commissioner Anshul Mishra (left) explaining to Secretary of Municipal Administration and Water Supply Niranjan Mardi (right) the features of the bus terminal under construction on Mettupalayam Road in Coimbatore on Monday. —

COIMBATORE: The Coimbatore Corporation aims to complete the construction of the bus terminal on Mettupalayam Road by the end of March this year, Mayor R. Venkatachalam said on Monday.

The Mayor said this after a review of the works by Secretary of Municipal Administration and Water Supply Niranjan Mardi.

Ramp for cars

The construction of the ceiling and a ramp for cars to reach the roof-top parking lot was in progress.

Dr. Mardi wanted the Corporation to speed up the work.

Dr. Mardi was told that works would be carried out 24 hours in order to complete the terminal soon.

The Mayor said bays for the buses were also being laid.

Once this terminal was opened, buses for Udhagamandalam and other parts of the Nilgiris District, areas north of the city such as Mettupalayam, Karamadai, Perianaickenpalayam and Nellithurai would be operated from there. At present, the buses to these areas operated from the Central Bus Stand at Gandhipuram.

The new facility would help decongest Gandhipuram, he said. Already, buses from Tiruchi and Madurai were being terminated at the stand at Singanallur in the eastern part of the city.

Buses from Palakkad, Pollachi, Palani and Udumalpet were terminated at the Ukkadam stand.

When the new stand on Mettupalayam Road opened, only the buses bound for Erode, Sathyamangalam and Annur would be operated from the Central Bus Stand.

The Mayor said the Corporation was exploring the possibility of using its land at Sivanandapuram near Saravanampatti to build a stand for buses in the Erode and Annur routes.

Gandhipuram area

This would leave most of the Gandhipuram area for the town services, he said.

At present, buses on the Udhagamandalam route used a small stretch of Dr. Nanjappa Road, Sathyamangalam Road, the entire 100 Feet Road and Sivananda Colony to reach Mettupalayam Road.

When the new bus stand would be opened, these roads would be decongested.

As for Mettupalayam Road, the Corporation was considering a proposal to shift the wholesale market further north towards Thudialur so that the bus stand area would not be congested.