CHENNAI: Cabs and private buses parked on Indira Nagar Second Avenue have become a major cause of worry for the residents here. Repeated complaints to Corporation officials and the traffic police are yet to bear results. “Private buses are being parked in the area for over a couple of years now. When the bicycle lane was being marked in March 2018, we were happy that the menace would stop. However, just a week after it was marked, private buses had returned,” said Jerusha Peter, one of the residents.
Another resident said, “The bus drivers change their clothes, take bath, on the road. When we ask about it, they yell at us and some even threaten. Also, at night, drivers drink and leave the bottles on the road. Every morning, we wake up to the stench of rotten food and broken bottles.
”Even TNSTC buses are parked on the road in the evenings as there is not much space at the bus stop. Lately, private cabs have also started occupying the area and residents say they carry out all kinds of illegal activities inside the vehicle.
“People come on different vehicles, get into the parked cab, drink, party, do all kinds of nonsense and leave after a couple of hours. Previously, it was only cab drivers coming to park their vehicles under the shade, but now these kinds of activity have put us at risk. We can’t even step out of our homes after 8 pm. Once the drivers saw me complaining to the police and threatened me the following day. It is getting scarier by the day,” said a resident on condition of anonymity.
When contacted, a traffic cop in the area said, “We have been patrolling and warning the cab and bus drivers. However, they return within a day or two. We need support from the law and order department to handle this situation.”
Parking problems
TNSTC buses are parked on the road in the evenings due to space constraints at the bus stop. Lately, private cabs also occupy the area, and residents say they notice illegal activities in the vehicles.