Rain-hit roads that brought Chennai to a halt

Chennai is no stranger to traffic jams. But nothing could have prepared citizens for the onslaught of traffic that brought the city to a standstill on Monday night in the aftermath of the heavy rains. Almost anybody who had chosen road transport as his or her means of commuting was left dazed in the traffic snarl that lasted for upwards of eight hours beginning at about 6 pm. From passengers intent on boarding trains, who were left stranded in the middle of the highways with no place to move, to office-goers who were stuck inside their vehicles for hours together with no signs of the traffic subsiding, Monday night turned out to be a water-logged hell on Earth for Chennaiites. 

According to motorists, two MTC buses that had broken down near Katthipara Junction, and one bus that had broken down near Egmore station are said to be major contributors to the snag. 

In fact, people across the city were updating each other on the traffic situation using social media and even the radio. Sandeep John, an RJ with an English FM station tells us, “Every arterial road in Chennai was choked. I was getting calls from every part of the city on our programme updating us on where the big snags were. Mount Road was the biggest hurdle for anyone to cross.” Many people, who had intended to travel out of Chennai, by either flight, train or bus had to miss their transport as the unrelenting traffic showed no signs of relaxing. 

From the administrative side, the Chief Justice of Madras High court, Sanjay Kishan Kaul on Tuesday advised the government to take necessary steps to prevent rain led traffic snarls in future. The chief justice said that he himself was caught up with the traffic snarl for about three hours and advised the government should not refute public’s complaints and that officials should consult and take necessary action.