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Old 27th February 2014, 21:53   #2131
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re: Traffic and life on the roads in Chennai

Guys
Which is a bigger devil on friday evenings?

- Poonamalle-Porur-Kathipara Or
- Tambaram-Alandur-Kathipara Or
- Tambaram-Medavakkam-Velachery?

If the latter is a better option, it might be worth taking the Oragdam/Manimangalam route.
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Old 27th February 2014, 23:38   #2132
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re: Traffic and life on the roads in Chennai

Quote:
Originally Posted by ampere View Post
Guys
Which is a bigger devil on friday evenings?

- Poonamalle-Porur-Kathipara Or
- Tambaram-Alandur-Kathipara Or
- Tambaram-Medavakkam-Velachery?

If the latter is a better option, it might be worth taking the Oragdam/Manimangalam route.
Poonamalle-Porur-Kathipara is worst of the lot. Suggest you to look at the latter options via Tambaram.

Also consider Tambaram-Pallavaram(200 ft road)-pallikaranai-Velacherry
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Old 28th February 2014, 11:58   #2133
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re: Traffic and life on the roads in Chennai

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Originally Posted by katchkamalesh View Post
Poonamalle-Porur-Kathipara is worst of the lot. Suggest you to look at the latter options via Tambaram.

Also consider Tambaram-Pallavaram(200 ft road)-pallikaranai-Velacherry
but mind you, the last 1km before Velachery/Vijayanagar junction might turn out to be nighmare sometimes depending on what time you reach beyond Kamakshi hospital. Also to reach Kamakshi jn, better one will be as above- through Pallavaram/200ft road.
Google maps ilve traffic should definitely give a pointer to the condition prevailing.
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Old 28th February 2014, 13:48   #2134
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re: Traffic and life on the roads in Chennai

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but mind you, the last 1km before Velachery/Vijayanagar junction might turn out to be nighmare sometimes depending on what time you reach beyond Kamakshi hospital. Also to reach Kamakshi jn, better one will be as above- through Pallavaram/200ft road.
Google maps ilve traffic should definitely give a pointer to the condition prevailing.
Does it then make sense to drive towards Kathipara and use the Naganallur underpass near Mount to hit Velachery?

If yes, then how does this new scenario stack-up against Porur road option? Is it still better?
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Old 28th February 2014, 14:49   #2135
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re: Traffic and life on the roads in Chennai

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Originally Posted by ampere View Post
Does it then make sense to drive towards Kathipara and use the Naganallur underpass near Mount to hit Velachery?

If yes, then how does this new scenario stack-up against Porur road option? Is it still better?
IMHO it may not fare any better. (this is, apart from the ~2 extra km)
Volatile traffic conditions that exist between pallavaram-nglur subway stretch will any way be more than the kamakshi-velachery stretch. & finally this may all boil down to one's luck the said day.
Taking Manimangalam route combined with one of the above should still hold high, against Porur.
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Old 28th February 2014, 15:18   #2136
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re: Traffic and life on the roads in Chennai

Quote:
Originally Posted by ampere View Post
Does it then make sense to drive towards Kathipara and use the Naganallur underpass near Mount to hit Velachery?

If yes, then how does this new scenario stack-up against Porur road option? Is it still better?
If you plan to take porur route, be prepared to spend long time with traffic all the way. City traffic will start from Poonamalle.

Your better bet will be Tambaram-Pallavaram(200 ft road)-pallikaranai-Velacherry. There will be traffic only as you get closer to velacherry.
There will be some traffic in Tambaram & chrompet.
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Old 28th February 2014, 16:52   #2137
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re: Traffic and life on the roads in Chennai

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Originally Posted by greenhorn
there is a very obstructive set of barricades that have appeared Just in front of the bridge at Karapakkam while coming in from Sholinganallur side. There are three of them, and you need to slow down a LOT to negotiate them. As you pass the Standard & Chartered/TCS buildings, slow down!
Indeed a real pain. And there are the other barricades that are left on the roads without any purpose - parallel & adjacent to the median - which could be a serious hazard.

And if you are travelling on OMR at night, look out for the folks jumping suddenly onto the road from the median taking you by surprise - can be a serious accident, given the bad lighting.
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Old 1st March 2014, 05:32   #2138
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re: Traffic and life on the roads in Chennai

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Originally Posted by adarsh.n View Post
This is not a rant for a change in this thread. Sodium vapour lamps on stretch from Porur to Valsaravakkam on Arcot Road has been replaced with white LED lights. It has become very convenient to ride as the roads are much brighter especially near Naiha and Saravana Bhavan! I remember this being presented in 2012 budget which is being implemented now!

What was more surprising was that the entire work was done in 3-4 days without disturbing traffic! Don't know if it is being done in other parts as well!
Just saw these lights yesterday on the stretch from Velachery to Kamakshi hospital. This used to be unlit, and now riding is so much better
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Old 3rd March 2014, 11:55   #2139
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So much can happen in a 30 minute drive

Last night at about 9.00 pm I was coming from TTK road to Velachery.

Incident 1:

I was crossing Anna University and was 1 Km from the Cancer hospital signal. I was going at 50-55 a Baleno overtook me on the right, doing about 70 km. A little ahead on the left there was car parked, and Baleno was going on my right. Two college kids on a bike were standing behind the car. Suddenly they decided to start, and zzzzzoomed ahead, twisting and overtaking the stationery car, barely missing my bumper. Because of my low speed and excellent steering response of WagonR, could I maneuver, almost rubbing the bike. Whew!

Incident 2:

A KM after crossing Rajbhavan I was taking a left to Velachery at the petrol bunk signal. There was a long bus who was also taking the same turn, on my right. Sudenly two heros on activa zoomed pass me on my left, through the non existant space, making a lot of trouble for themselves, for me and for many in the bus.

Incident 3:

A couple of kms further on the way to velachery, traffic cops have kept several concreate blocks (as used in the building construction) as road divider. Some good samatarian had collected about 5 such blocks and made way for two wheelers to cross. These blocks were moved to the road. There were atleast a foot and half in height. I just noticed them at the nick of time. Again my WagonR steering came to my help.

Learnings:
  • I realised that power steering can be a safety tool. Please rethink before you opt out of having one.
  • Front fog lamps are useful in the city. I could have spotted the concrete blocks a few feet before if I had the front fog lamps switched on. I never used to switch them on, as I thought it is not needed if fog is not there. Front fog lamp is also a great safety feature. If you can afford one please have them installed. And these surely have to be before air bags or ABS in your safety gadgets list.
  • The rider of Activa which over took me on my left at the signal had a hemet on. As a safety aspect, I would rate safe riding sense far higher than wearing a helmet. Helmet may give a false sense of security, at times.

Last edited by ravradha : 3rd March 2014 at 12:02. Reason: corrected mistakes
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Old 30th March 2014, 19:06   #2140
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Heard that there was a horrible accident in the outskirts of chennai near vandalur.
A cargo trailer has reportedly lost control while taking a turn at the vandalur flyover and landed on a car passing thru' the road under the flyover.
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Old 31st March 2014, 07:59   #2141
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re: Traffic and life on the roads in Chennai

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Originally Posted by Warwithwheels View Post
Heard that there was a horrible accident in the outskirts of chennai near vandalur.
A cargo trailer has reportedly lost control while taking a turn at the vandalur flyover and landed on a car passing thru' the road under the flyover.
That's extremely sad to know. I was on that route yesterday around 11:30 A.M travelling towards Vandalur. There was heavy traffic jam all the way from Perungalathur till the Anna zoo and I did see an accident involving two vehicles. Hope people were alive.

Also, the ORR road is to meet just before Anna Zoo. Another badly designed flyover is being constructed over there. The Chengelpet - Perungalathur route sees too many accidents on a daily basis. That stretch is a bad zone.
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Old 31st March 2014, 09:13   #2142
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re: Traffic and life on the roads in Chennai

Here's an account of that accident in today's TOI Chennai Edition. Two souls have lost their lives. RIP!

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/c...w/32974475.cms
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Old 15th April 2014, 22:00   #2143
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re: Traffic and life on the roads in Chennai

spoted a silver grey ford eco sport coming on to the ECR, Overtook everything on its way, very agressive driving.. Honking like crazy, ( shamed the taxi wahllas), darting to the left and right avoided 2 barriers! But got stumped when the eco sport reached palavakam near antonys shrine, They changed the pattern of the barriers.. the eco sport was in confusion.. And a sargent walked in and waved the ecosport down. I passed, so did everyone. seems to be a 2 chick mission that went mission impossible.
He dint charge her or anything, but i saw a wannabe rally driver reformed. Dear lady if you read this, There are far more faster and better cars, and there are far better drivers on this forum, who ride/drive safe, they dont get intimated like the likes of you. Its not how fast you can go, it is how fast you can stop. For that sargent, oru OOh!
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Old 15th April 2014, 22:54   #2144
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re: Traffic and life on the roads in Chennai

When I was going on my morning walk today, an NTL taxi Innova came down the right half of the MIT Flyover and nonchalantly took a "U" turn to the service road on the Indira Cotton Mill side, right in front of me. An Alto will find that turn difficult, so I stopped short. Sure enough, the front wheels mounted the pedestrian pavement with a small thud. A few more steps and I would have been right in his path.

I walked near and gave him my dirtiest look. He reversed with a sheepish grin and went his way. I had half a mind to call NTL and report, but let it go.

Last edited by Gansan : 15th April 2014 at 22:57.
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Old 16th April 2014, 01:01   #2145
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re: Traffic and life on the roads in Chennai

Sadly, the Exo-sport could easily be set to be the bully-boy vehicle of the smaller-car owners. I've had two or three encounters. Yes, some of the bully boys are girls too.

A car-full of kids, boys, behaving badly, tried to bully me from behind the other evening, in TTK Road. They then tried the overtake on the left, but were held up by the bike I was overtaking. Came with mm of my car, trying to get between the bike and me. Suspect they were drunk. Youth and cars is bad enough, even without drink. I hit the brake and let them get ahead to do god-only-knows what damage.

The there was my own sin at Tidel Park yesterday. Let me keep quiet about it --- but I got some dirty looks, and could only reply with a guilty grin!
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