Vehicles to be fined for illegal parking
The Greater Chennai Traffic Police (GCTP) will be imposing fines on vehicles found to have been parked illegally. The traffic police have been instructed to photograph the vehicles and issue a challan to the owners. This move has been put in place as many vehicles have been parked in no-parking zones, affecting traffic flow.
All arterial roads in the city have been declared no parking zones and vehicles parked here will be fined. Those found guilty of illegal parking can pay the fine imposed online or through e-seva centres across the city.
First-time offenders will be fined Rs 500 and subsequent fines can go up to Rs 1000.
Source: The Times of India
Read more: Why I root for the Chennai Metro: A citizen perspective
Chennai Metro ridership increases
The Chennai Metro has seen a growth in ridership, with 8.25 lakh commuters using the service in July. The highest single-day ridership of 3,008,495 was registered on July 28. Peak-hour ridership both in the mornings and evenings has seen an increase in recent months.
The Metro has also launched new features to improve the experience for riders, such as the launch of QR-code-based tickets through PayTM. Commuters can already purchase tickets through Whatsapp. There is also a National Common Mobility Card available for riders.
In view of the growing ridership, the Tamil Nadu government has sanctioned funds to procure a further 28 six-coach trains to cater to future demand.
Source: The Indian Express | The Hindu
Delay in opening of Kilabakkam Bus terminus
A further delay is expected in the inauguration of operations at the Kilambakkam bus terminus which was due to be opened in July. Delays in the completion of pending work in the areas surrounding the terminus have resulted in it not being open for operations.
Pending work on stormwater drains, widening of the entrance road and surrounding roads for the passage of buses has not been on schedule. Work worth Rs 45 is yet to be completed. Of the pending works, tenders have been issued for 10 of them.
The authorities hope to start operations in the much-delayed terminus in a phased manner with buses to Tirunelveli and Madurai to be allowed as part of the first and second phases.
Source: The New Indian Express
Read more: Chennai pins hopes of decongestion on upcoming Kilambakkam bus terminus
Funds for flyovers on Rajiv Gandhi Salai
The Tamil Nadu government has sanctioned Rs 331 crore to build four flyovers on Rajiv Gandhi Salai. The flyovers will come up at Taramani-SRP tools junction, Shollinganallur junction, Thoraipakkam Radial Road junction and MGR-Salai-Perungudi junction.
The work will be carried out by the Tamil Nadu Road Development Company (TNRDC) and the Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL). The total cost of the project will be Rs 459 crore, with the remaining amount being contributed by the CMRL. Rs 50 crore has been released as the first instalment.
The work on the flyovers is expected to be completed in two years, in parallel with the construction of the Metro Rail infrastructure in the area. The aim of the project is to reduce congestion and enable smooth flow of traffic.
Source: The Hindu
Vacancies in civic body to be filled
The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) aims to fill vacancies in various departments in order to improve service delivery in the city. Over 3800 posts lay vacant in the civic body according to internal data. The process for filling these vacancies will be fast-tracked, according to Commissioner J Radhakrishnan.
The vacant posts include engineers, tax collectors, tax assessors, and licence inspectors among other jobs. The vacancies will be filled through the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC) and through the list maintained by the State government on those who are eligible for jobs on compassionate grounds.
Source: The Hindu
[Compiled by Aruna Natarajan]