Steps sought to reduce fatal accidents on Somangalam road

CHENNAI: Hundreds of villagers protested on the Darkas-Somangalam road on Saturday to garner attention to the frequent accidents taking place because of heavy vehicles. It connects Sriperumbudur and Chennai-Bangalore National Highway and is one of the busiest roads in the locality.

Since many stone quarries are situated there, it’s common to see lorries using the road 24-7. Recently, it has started developing as a residential area. Residents said that all heavy vehicles were over-speeding, which resulted in frequent accidents.

“In the last two years, over 50 accidents have taken place here, and 18 people have been killed, including two press reporters,” they lamented. “We had requested the police to place speed-breakers on the road, but the latter have not initiated any steps.”

On Thursday, Manikandan (25) of Kanadapalaiyam was knocked over by a lorry while riding his bike. He died on the spot. On Saturday morning, hundreds of residents gathered on the Darkas-Somangalam road and staged a protest by surrounding the lorries and demanding action against the drivers.

Soon, the Tambaram police rushed to the spot and held peace talks with the protestors. They promised strict action against errant drivers violating speed limit.

The police also promised to lay speed-breakers on the stretch, and not allow heavy vehicles to ply on the road during peak hours. Villagers gave up their protest after two hours of agitation.