Team-BHP - Traffic and life on the roads in Chennai

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Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom (Post 4493197)

Kea Weather Blog. Recommended!

Yep, they are my source as well. Might occasionally spot me Narayanan_TNagar in the Disqus threads :)

A north TN landfall hasn't been ruled out, models are showing a recurve and moving W or WSW as it approaches the coast.

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Originally Posted by narayans80 (Post 4493226)

And a lessening from Cyclone status. Not that Tropical Storm is likely to much fun. Off-hand, I don't know the relative wind speeds of the two.

Somehow I seem to have got moderated on the Disqus forum. Which is a bit odd, as I have been there for years and I don't think I upset anyone.

It is hard to keep up an all-year interest in weather here in Chennai, where hot'n'sunny is the default forecast for almost every day. I appreciate those that do and give us the benefit of their expertise.

Anyway... We await the weather with interest. Time to tie stuff down!

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Originally Posted by dre@ms (Post 4493751)

Recent update from IMD Head is that, Chennai is out of danger from Gaja :)

Pradeep John says rain will be there on the 14th and 15th. Nothing to be worried about though (150 mm from 2 - 3 days rain). Landfall as of now is predicted between Cuddalore and Vedaranyam, can change in the next few hours,

The traffic department has notified that on 3rd Dec 18, roads will be blocked from Tharamani junction till Apollo Junction (the entire MGR Salai). This is primarily because of the visit by Hon’ble Vice President of India, Mr M Venkaiah Naidu and CM, Tamilnadu for an inauguration function.

The traffic department has informed that MGR Salai will not be accessible from 0830 AM to 1200 PM on 3rd Dec view VIP movement. There might also be traffic diversion/Disruption in the OMR during the VIP movement.

Pls cascade this information to all your associates and plan accordingly.

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Originally Posted by swissknife (Post 4505269)

The traffic department has notified

One positive side effect of this, is that the potholes created by the Metro work that existed until Friday on the OMR stretch between Indira Nagar and Tidel is now patched up :) Even the one Metro barricade on the fast lane, just outside Tiruvanmiyur station is gone.

Went running around Adyar - Besant Nagar today morning, was hoping to run on the Theosophical Society stretch towards the Adyar Banyan Tree. Was told to move out (in a very rude manner) entry is only with a pass; although I could see several folks walking in and out in the morning.

Any suggestions on where to find additional information on this?

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Originally Posted by ninjatalli (Post 4511127)

HI,

They are very particular about keeping the Society secure. So they do sometimes get aggressive. I live right next to the Society - my house and the Society share the compound.

Yes you do need a pass to enter. Its called a walking pass. There is generally a waiting list to get it. You have to contact their office regarding this. The office is open from 10 to 5 on working days. All the best. Do PM me if you need any more details or help on this.

PS: You would not be allowed to run inside the Society. Walking is allowed - but jogging or running is NO NO.

I am in Kolkata (again), for 3 days, at work. I can't help but notice how there's a different automotive culture in this city compared to Chennai. I bet there's a different automotive culture in every city/town. What do I mean by "automotive culture"? Here's what I mean-

* The people here have a thing for Scorpios at a scale that people in Chennai and Tamil Nadu do not. There are so many white board Scorpios on the road, many of them quite new.
* I haven't ever seen Maruti Altos driven as Taxis in Tamil Nadu. Kolkata is where I lost my Alto-Taxi virginity. I don't know if others have lost theirs in Delhi or Mumbai, for I hear that Altos are plied as taxis there too...your mileage may vary.
* Compared to Chennai, the people of Kolkata have a pronounced affinity for honking. They expend quite a bit of energy on this exercise.
* The roads are mostly free-flowing and the infrastructure seems well-suited for the current traffic density. You can keep zipping through moving traffic at 60 Kmph. Rush hour? What's that? Kolkata has a good thing going for sure. Anyone from Bangalore would shed tears of joy here! And for the people of Chennai, living on Kolkata might even grow on them for the sheer ease of commuting here.

On the whole, Kolkata is just bustling with construction activity especially in the Salt Lake area, with lots of flyovers coming up and IT parks and other commercial spaces under construction. Salute and best wishes to the people of this bustling city!

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Originally Posted by aargee (Post 4515649)

Did anyone know here that TN police has stopped taking cash payments for spot fine? They WILL accept payments through Debit or Credit Card that includes surcharge as well. Meaning, if the fine is Rs 100, they actual charged money is some 2.x% more.

Finally a fantastic move to reduce greasing the palm clap:

Well, even before this move was brought in, a paid fine with a receipt always went to the Government. So the legal fines will still continue, albeit in a digital format, while the bribery will still continue too, in the same old hard-copy format :D

Quote:

Originally Posted by aargee (Post 4515649)

Did anyone know here that TN police has stopped taking cash payments for spot fine ?
...
Finally a fantastic move to reduce greasing the palm clap:

Yes !

Quote:

Originally Posted by aravind.anand (Post 4515663)

So the legal fines will still continue, albeit in a digital format, while the bribery will still continue too, in the same old hard-copy format :D

Well, let's not be so hasty, an interesting incident from a few months ago when I was in Chennai. I had to visit my attorney at the High-Court & I had parked close to the entrance on Esplanande Road. When I came out after my visit, I was concerned to see a traffic S.I. & a constable next to my car, surrounded by a raggedy group of "youths". Turns out, the young 'uns were the afternoon's "catch" of the industrious S.I. & his side-kick. However, there was a problem, the S.I. could only collect fines using his hand-held card-reader & all of his helpless catch that afternoon had only cash on them, no cards.

When I politely asked the S.I. that his group make way for me to extricate my car, he, equally politely, asked me for a favor. He asked if the group could pay their fines as cash - to me ! :D In turn, I would allow the smart-thinking S.I. to use my card to pay the fines on his little reader. I saw no mischief, so gave my card & it was used to individually pay around 6 or 7 fines :) Each time, the constable collected the cash from the unfortunate, counted it, & then dutifully handed it to me. How you like dem apples, not all of 'em are bad clap:

I too happen to have experienced this cash-less fine system.

In my case the cops didn't even want to touch the notes which people were trying to pay their fines with. I had to swipe my card for two other motorists who did not have a card of their own, and one issue I realized later on was that, if you plan on paying by card, it incurs an additional charge of around 2 rupees. So, though the other offenders with me had paid me their 100 Rupee fines i was at a loss of around 5 rupees. lol:
PS: Oh and in case anyone was wondering.. I had gotten caught for riding a friend's bike without a helmet. stupid: