CHENNAI: A tussle between a private bus driver and workers of a toll plaza slowed down the traffic at the Chennai-Tiruchy national highway for about four hours on Monday early morning. A private bus from Tiruchy was running towards Chennai. Around 3 am, the bus stopped at the Paranur toll gate near Sriperumbudur. The bus was driven by Prabhu from Gingee in Thiruvannamalai. After paying the toll fee, Prabhu delayed a bit to start the bus.
Meanwhile, the toll plaza workers yelled at him and called him names. Irritated by this, Prabhu got into an argument with the workers. In the melee, the workers hit Prabhu and the passengers came out to support the driver. The toll gate workers also hit the passengers. Angered by this, the other private buses halted at the plaza and the drivers picked a quarrel with the workers,” said a police officer from the Sriperumbudur station.
On information, the Sriperumbudur police rushed to the spot and warned the private bus drivers to start the buses. After hearing about the incident from the passengers, the police took all 36 toll plaza workers for enquiry. In the melee, the traffic at the toll plaza came to a standstill from 3 am to 7 am. The vehicles coming towards Chennai were halted up to Padalam from the Panayur toll gate and the vehicles running from Chennai were halted up to Maraimalai Nagar in Kancheepuram.