CHENNAI: Traffic snarls in North Chennai is nothing new, but container lorries to and from the Ennore port and North Chennai Thermal Power Station is putting the lives of motorists and schoolchildren at risk.
While the containers have to travel through Athipattu Pudhunagar and Manali New Town or Outer Ring Road before Minjur to enter the city, they are taking a shortcut and use the Ennore Creek bridge, which would save them more than 15 km, say the residents.
“There is a government school on the Kathivakkam Road near the bridge. There are three schools in the locality. The motorists as well as children have to travel in fear because the containers take this route,” said a A Parthasarathy, a resident of Ennore. We were hoping that the containers would stop using the bridge once the schools reopened, however, they are continuing to do so putting the lives of children at risk.
“We pay `100 to the police officials whenever we are stopped and use the road as it saves us time and diesel,” said a truck driver on condition of anonymity. The Kathivakkam Road is heavily damaged due to the container lorries. We also have to battle for space on the road and are witnessing increase in accidents, said Venkaiah, another resident, and urged the officials to divert the trucks.
MM Ashok Kumar, Deputy Commissioner (Traffic), said he inspected the route and Ennore Creek bridge recently on advice from Avadi Commissioner Sandeep Rai Rathore. “We have spoken to officials in-charge of the roads to check the possibility of having height barriers to prevent the containers from using the route. We will soon take a decision and the problem will be solved,” he added.