[supremeBaleno]

^^^ Co-incidentally, I got flagged down by the cops yesterday at the same place at Karapakkam when me and my colleagues were driving to Mahabs for an overnighter at TTDC. Me and the front passenger were wearing seat-belts and I thought they would be checking for belts like arvind mentioned in the previous post, but when they asked us to park and come out, I wasn't sure what I did wrong. I don't remember the speed I was doing, but would be 60 max and so I thought the speed limit is 40 and so maybe I was more than that. But to our surprise, they said that the rear number plate is not as per specs, which is true because I had those plastic ones made since the stock one was spreading rust to the car-body. And while I had asked the sticker guy to stick to stock font, he had made them smaller/thinner. Anyway, I was clearly in error and asked the fine which was Rs100 - paid and took the receipt/printout.

But then, how did they know while flagging me down from the front, that the rear plate is not within spec? So looks like they flagged us and were just looking for any chargeable offence that was obvious. The front plate was also the out-of-spec plastic plate till recently, but had gone back to stock plates when it broke on hitting a bike. BTW, the cop was all courteous / smiling. He said he will put offence as seat-belt_not-worn because as per rule, he has to remove the offensive plate if the offense is marked as wrong-plates.

BTW, spotted a grey Figo with tbhp sticker at the rear parked at TTDC, Mamallapuram today morning. Which tbhp-ian was it ?

Originally Posted by binand

Within cities, what works best is a system that depends on direction of journey. At the simplest, it would have the leftmost lane dedicated to all traffic that needs to turn left at the next junction, the middle lane for folks who go straight and the right lane obviously for those who turn right.

Indeed this would be the ideal way, but how many roads in our citie have 3 usable lanes ? Another useful thing would be to have those special lanes for those turning right, like we see in the US (I believe even NH45 has these at some places). Basically at junctions where right-turn/u-turn is allowed, the rightmost lane branches into two - one continuing straight ahead and another smaller one to its right to which the right-turning traffic can move into.

Originally Posted by binand

I doubt the "universally" comment. It is speed based on inter-city roads and highways/expressways, but cities usually have speed limits (Chennai's is 40 kmph).

Yeah, I was referring to highways mostly or roads like the IT corridor, which are wider than even some highways.

[binand]

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

But then, how did they know while flagging me down from the front, that the rear plate is not within spec?

Likely a cop some distance behind you radioed ahead about you. This used to happen to me with depressing regularity at the Worli end of the BWSL (I have the standard Tamil Nadu plates, with TN 07 written in small letters on the upper row and AP NNNN written in large letters below). After 4-5 times, I asked the cop - he said a detail positioned somewhere in the middle warns stationary beats at both ends about vehicles in which they ought to take an interest.

[anachronix]

Its simple, he is meeting his monthly targets for number of cases with seat belt not-worn rule and you get penalized for not using the standard number plates too, a classic win-win situation

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

BTW, the cop was all courteous / smiling. He said he will put offence as seat-belt_not-worn because as per rule, he has to remove the offensive plate if the offense is marked as wrong-plates.

[supremeBaleno]

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

IIRC I have seen seat-belts in Tata Ace (aka kutti-yaanai). Might be wrong too.

Checked an Ace parked at our office campus and it had belts for both driver and front-passenger.

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

BTW, I noticed some other such barricades (the metal ones) that had been knocked down with the barricade's metal-legs towards the traffic - could get ugly if some bike got caught in it.

Looks like it did get ugly - a biker (mechanic) died yesterday after getting caught in the metal barricade at T-Nagar - a sharp part went through his stomach.
I wish someone comes in a big truck and hauls all these metal barricades and carts them all away and sells them for scrap.

Originally Posted by binand

Likely a cop some distance behind you radioed ahead about you.

I did not initially think it would be the case, but after wondering about it for some time, felt you have a point. Because the moment we moved to the left-most lane (before he had time to see the car all around), the cop said the issue was with the plates. Also there were colleagues in 2 other cars and they did not get flagged. Anyway I have dusted out the old stock plates and they will go on the car from tomorrow.

Originally Posted by anachronix

Its simple, he is meeting his monthly targets for number of cases with seat belt not-worn rule and you get penalized for not using the standard number plates too, a classic win-win situation

But he offered me an option - "Enna offence podalam, sollunga sir?". And while I did not really mind his confiscating the plastic-plates (they are useless anyway since they are enforcing the rule), the issue was that I would be running without rear-plates till the next day and was worried being flagged by some other cops for driving without plates. So agreed to what he said.

[supremeBaleno]

Had to ride down from Thoraipakkam to Adyar around 1PM today and assumed it would be a nice minimal-traffic ride due to being afternoon. And it indeed was till I reached SRP tools. However saw traffic backed up from the IOCL petrolpump (near YMCA school) till SRP-Tools on all lanes including service-lane. The other side of the OMR towards Thoraipakkam being literally empty in contrast. There was quite some police presence near NIFT - not sure if the whole jam was due to some VIP visiting that area.

[Gokrish]

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

Had to ride down from Thoraipakkam to Adyar around 1PM today and assumed it would be a nice minimal-traffic ride due to being afternoon. And it indeed was till I reached SRP tools. However saw traffic backed up from the IOCL petrolpump (near YMCA school) till SRP-Tools on all lanes including service-lane. The other side of the OMR towards Thoraipakkam being literally empty in contrast. There was quite some police presence near NIFT - not sure if the whole jam was due to some VIP visiting that area.

This was the case all around chennai today. 6 km drive from egmore to nelson manickam road has taken me more than 1:15 minutes this evening. Long live Netas of this country.

[Thad E Ginathom]

It is really good that Chennai people will not walk, even a few metres!

Really good, that is, for those of us that are happy to do so. I have visited Narada Gana Sabha and The Music Academy several times in the past few days. Car parks are full, parking nearby is either congested or not allowed --- but, just five minutes away, in CIT colony, there is plenty of space.

Yes, I know I can get valet parking at the Academy. I prefer to have my car easily accessible, both for when I leave, and when I feel the need of between-concerts nap!

[GullwingGT]

Cattle on OMR road has become a real nuisance and a serious threat to motorists. Yesterday at around 11 pm when I was travelling in my swift from Navalur on this stretch suddenly a cow strayed on to the road. I was doing like 60 KM/h and few cars closely behind.
I was sure that I could stop in time, but was scared of the car behind me will rear end as I saw him trying to make evasive maneuvers and move towards left but by the time he was about to make, the cow was right in the middle and lucky he too braked in time and the traffic came to a halt. Thanks to the barricades that almost made this a single lane road at that point.
I always see herds of cows or goats taking shelter on the OMR, some authorities have to do something about this.

[YaeJay]

Originally Posted by GullwingGT

Cattle on OMR road has become a real nuisance and a serious threat to motorists. Yesterday at around 11 pm when I was travelling in my swift from Navalur on this stretch suddenly a cow strayed on to the road. I was doing like 60 KM/h and few cars closely behind.
I was sure that I could stop in time, but was scared of the car behind me will rear end as I saw him trying to make evasive maneuvers and move towards left but by the time he was about to make, the cow was right in the middle and lucky he too braked in time and the traffic came to a halt. Thanks to the barricades that almost made this a single lane road at that point.
I always see herds of cows or goats taking shelter on the OMR, some authorities have to do something about this.

They do have the cattle warning sign boards. Which is a good thing. Most toll roads have goats and cattle, cowboys and milkmen on their super tuned super TVS50s crossing every where. But, as far as I know only in OMR do you find the cow warning boards. watch out for that warning. That is why you have to pay at the toll booth.

[Gokrish]

Originally Posted by YaeJay

They do have the cattle warning sign boards. Which is a good thing. Most toll roads have goats and cattle, cowboys and milkmen on their super tuned super TVS50s crossing every where. But, as far as I know only in OMR do you find the cow warning boards. watch out for that warning. That is why you have to pay at the toll booth.

And you will be also surprised to know that they have a deer crossing sign board on sardar patel road (Guindy Raj Bhavan Road) near Raj bhavan staff entry point signal!

[iamswift]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

Really good, that is, for those of us that are happy to do so. I have visited Narada Gana Sabha and The Music Academy several times in the past few days. Car parks are full, parking nearby is either congested or not allowed --- but, just five minutes away, in CIT colony, there is plenty of space.

Enjoying music season?

Originally Posted by Gokrish

And you will be also surprised to know that they have a deer crossing sign board on sardar patel road (Guindy Raj Bhavan Road) near Raj bhavan staff entry point signal!

Yeah its pretty old when Raj Bhavan used to be calm & serene. What now is urban jungle out there and deers wouldn't dare to come out now

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by iamswift

Enjoying music season?

Yes indeed! Up to my neck in it. ...and with two visiting friends from USA as well, for once I have almost no time for the internet!

[Chetan_Rao]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

It is really good that Chennai people will not walk, even a few metres!

Really good, that is, for those of us that are happy to do so. I have visited Narada Gana Sabha and The Music Academy several times in the past few days. Car parks are full, parking nearby is either congested or not allowed --- but, just five minutes away, in CIT colony, there is plenty of space.

Yes, I know I can get valet parking at the Academy. I prefer to have my car easily accessible, both for when I leave, and when I feel the need of between-concerts nap!

That's the story pretty much everywhere. Most people are so badly afflicted by 'doorstep delivery' syndrome that they just won't park anywhere except a stone's throw off their destination.

Good for folks like us who don't mind a 5-min walk to & from the car, for the convenience of getting in & out without hassle.

[phamilyman]

I've managed to get myself ticketed twice in Chennai (both for wrong number plate, as that's the cheapest "learning" challan the policemen will give for rs 100). Since they give electronic challans, I am worried that over time it may result in impounding car or license or some such thing.

What can happen?

[Dieseldunk]

Originally Posted by phamilyman

I've managed to get myself ticketed twice in Chennai (both for wrong number plate, as that's the cheapest "learning" challan the policemen will give for rs 100). Since they give electronic challans, I am worried that over time it may result in impounding car or license or some such thing.

What can happen?

Hi
But then how come you did not change the number plate? or was it for any other issue.
Do not worry the number plate will be removed and no impounding happens. Secondly they will ask the police guy why he did not remove the # plate.

Cheers