Many bus routes in Chennai unsuitable for low-floor buses
In response to the Madras High Court, the State Transport Department said that 563 bus routes in Chennai are not suitable for running low-floor buses for persons with disabilities to use. There are only 65 routes where such buses can be run.
The court had directed the transport department to run low-floor buses on some routes for a feasibility test in Chennai. But the Metropolitan Transport Corporation’s buses cannot run on:
- 130 village routes with narrow roads where the low-floor buses cannot fit.
- 173 routes that are susceptible to floods.
- 186 routes where metro rail construction is going on.
- 74 routes where there are small buses due to a lack of space.
The transport department informed the court that they could colour-code the low-floor buses, apart from putting up their running times on a real-time basis via the Chennai bus app to help persons with disabilities.
The department is planning to buy 242 low-floor buses and 100 low-floor e-buses to ply 65 bus routes.
Source: The New Indian Express
Read more: The long fight for accessible buses in Chennai
Mechanical sweepers to clean roads
Mechanical sweepers have been deployed by the Greater Chennai Corporation to clean roads on the interior routes in the city. They will be used to remove minute dust particles that settle on the sides of the roads, on medians and even block the stormwater drains.
GCC is preparing to use 78 mechanical sweepers on 471 bus route roads and 5270 kilometres of 34,640 interior roads in Chennai. The cleaning will happen at night to avoid traffic and crowding.
Fifteen mechanical sweepers have been allotted to clean parts of Thiruvottiyur, Manali, Madhavaram and Ambattur. Additionally, GCC has started the cleaning works in Tondiarpet, Royapuram, Thiru vi ka Nagar, Anna Nagar and Ambattur.
A total of 47 sweeper machines are used in the zones of Teynampet, Kodambakkam, Valasaravakkam, Alandur, Adyar, Perungudi and Sholinganallur.
Source: DT Next
Chennai Traffic Police to address vehicle parking issues
Residents can submit complaints to the police control rooms if they come across instances of unauthorised car parking. Whenever such complaints about vehicle parking are reported, the traffic police is to attend to the cases and raise a challan with a fine and towing charges.
The police will also warn the person against whom the complaint is made to not repeat the violation. The person who submitted the complaint is also recommended to report the violation in case it occurs again.
Avenues to report parking violations: Traffic Control Room (044-23452362), Traffic Helpline (103) or 9003130103. Download the GCTP citizen mobile application. Send a message on WhatsApp number 9003130103. Use social media platforms and tag GCTP.
Source: The Hindu
Read more: Charging street parking could be a game-changer for Chennai
Adyar bund turns dumping site
The village panchayats of Gerugambakkam, Kolapakkam and Tarapakkam in Kundrathur have allowed the Adyar river bank to turn into a dumping ground for solid waste. Battery-operated garbage collection vehicles dump solid waste here. Also, private hospitals and vendors dump bio-medical waste in the area.
Recently, when the dump site caught fire, there was no action by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board even though the smoke from the fire is a public health hazard.
Large apartments in the GCC areas also dump solid waste in the site via private vendors, say activists in the city.
Source: The Times of India
Besant Nagar the cleanest beach in Chennai
According to data gathered by the civic body, among the seven beaches in Chennai Besant Nagar is the cleanest and Neelankarai is the least clean beach. The assessment of the beaches comes in the wake of improvements made to solid waste management in the areas.
The 336 shops in Besant Nagar are segregating waste as a result of awareness programmes done by GCC. More conservancy workers have been appointed in Besant Nagar for keeping the roads and toilets clean and machines have also been employed for sand sweeping in the area.
Palavakkam, Neelankarai and Akkarai beaches are less clean due to a lack of personnel.
Residents have urged the civic body to conduct mass cleaning activities to keep beaches clean in addition to preventing garbage dumping in the rivers of Adyar, Cooum, Kosasthalaiyar and Buckingham Canal. The latter will prevent the pollution of beach sand.
Source: The New Indian Express
[Compiled by Padmaja Jayaraman]