[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by katchkamalesh

Black cabs used to be diesel. Now, London EV Company which makes these cabs has stopped manufacturing diesel cabs and instead has started rolling out Electric vehicles.

I'm still surprised by electric vehicles! <Blush>

While in London, most of the taxis (expect black cab) that I have been in were petrol-powered. Also, I believe that it's cheaper to operate a petrol vehicle. Petrol is cheaper than diesel by around 10-15 pence.

On the ever-changing political-ecological correctness spectrum, I think that petrol is currently ahead of diesel, due to the micro particles in diesel fumes. Even when I was there in UK, diesel was more expensive than petrol. However, a pound's worth of diesel went a whole lot further than a pound's worth of petrol.

Buses and Trucks are diesel-powered because these vehicles require more torque, which diesel engine offers aplenty at comparatively a lower RPM.

Oh, silly me. Yes, of course. I was forgetting the torque, the very reason why I enjoy driving a diesel car! <Blush again>

OT: The highest reading on any vehicle that I have been in is this Lexus (petrol-powered) taxi in Taiwan.

If in case the odo is not visible: the reading is 802670.

Just... Wow!

[Ragavsr]

Originally Posted by katchkamalesh

Now my question is who is going to pay the fine. The mechanic doesn’t look like someone who could cough up thousands of rupees as fine.

Well the mechanic is liable and should pay the fine. If he is poor and can't afford the fine, why is he breaking the laws?

This whole sympathy for the poor, elderly or even women for that matter has gone too far to the point where they get away without paying money for damages in accidents caused by them.

I have had this happen to me and once, I saved a young chap who was being hounded by auto drivers for no mistake of his.

This guy was waiting at a signal in a car and I was behind him in my bike. This lady with a kid on a scooter tries to squeeze in between the car and the median and trips over and falls. The auto driver idiots start blaming the guy whose car didn't not hit or even touch the lady's scooter.

[katchkamalesh]

Originally Posted by Ragavsr

Well the mechanic is liable and should pay the fine. If he is poor and can't afford the fine, why is he breaking the laws?

This whole sympathy for the poor, elderly or even women for that matter has gone too far to the point where they get away without paying money for damages in accidents caused by them.

Even I agree with this statement. Being poor is no reason to not pay these fine. Maybe I should have worded my question better.

If it were an A.S.S the customer would be in a position to prove that he has left the bike for service.

This is not an ideal world and I'm pretty sure that the customer will be made to cough up (for no fault of his) to release the bike.

There will be a lot of people like the auto driver who will offer to mediate though uncalled for and make the customer pay a certain % of the fine.

I was once asked to bear 50% cost of an Intel processor. My fault - I opted for the services of a neighbourhood computer guy who in the process of fixing the processor to the motherboard, bent the pins beyond repair.

After an argument broke out with me and the computer guy, his neighbours stepped in and told me that mistakes do happen and considering that the guy is from a poor background, I should also pitch in to buy a new processor.
End of the day I had to hustle to make this guy pay for his mistake.

However, in the mechanic' case, I do not think any amount of hustling would work since there is another party (police) involved. The bike owner has to amicably sort this issue.

[locusjag]

Here, I took a screenshot of one of them petrol/gas Taxis in Chennai that I was talking about. I can only imagine how many questions these drivers will face from colleagues while they pull over at tea shops. A rare breed of taxis are slowly increasing in numbers in Chennai...

[searacer932]

The below reflects the very sad state of affairs not only in Chennai but through out India. Condolences to the family. The hoardings should never be installed.

https://www.thenewsminute.com/articl...-happen-108869

The death of a young woman due to the carelessness of the officials and politicians has sparked massive outrage on social media, with a lot of users slamming the government of Tamil Nadu, the police and the Chennai Corporation for failing to implement the Madras High Court order banning such flex boards. The Madras High Court on Friday ordered the state government to offer a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to Subhasri’s family and has directed the government to recover the amount from the erring officials responsible for the fatal accident.

The High Court also direct the state government to take disciplinary action against officials who allowed the erection of such banners and flex boards.

[swissknife]

While it is common sight to see garbage bins placed in a manner that obstructs free flow of traffic, in this case branches of a tree had been dumped, blocking more than half the width of the road. This was near the Director's colony, Kodambakkam.

[Warwithwheels]

How is the situation in Chennai right now?

With all the traffic restrictions in place, I guess its wise to stay-put within the immediate vicinity of the neighborhood.

On a side note, the stretch between Airport and ITC has got a nice makeover. The same with ECR - Mahabs stretch too! Hope it stays the same way atleast for a while.

[locusjag]

Originally Posted by Warwithwheels

How is the situation in Chennai right now?

With all the traffic restrictions in place, I guess its wise to stay-put within the immediate vicinity of the neighborhood.

The Maduravoyal-Porur stretch will be hit worst IMO because of the narrow gullies via which the diverted northbound vehicles will take off of the bypass, coming into Porur. I've heard no reports from there.

When it comes to the OMR diversion - Perumbakkam is already incapable of handling its normal workload. With every southbound vehicle being diverted through there, our company told us to stay home today. Nothing is worth the trouble of getting stuck in Perumbakkam. Bangalore is 350 Km away (thankfully) but this right here is a mini-Bangalore!

[Durango Dude]

Originally Posted by Warwithwheels

How is the situation in Chennai right now?

With all the traffic restrictions in place, I guess its wise to stay-put within the immediate vicinity of the neighborhood.

On a side note, the stretch between Airport and ITC has got a nice makeover. The same with ECR - Mahabs stretch too! Hope it stays the same way atleast for a while.

I think the police have things under control. I did the Adyar-Ramapuram stretch this morning at around 7am, it was a free run with scanty traffic, but the college closed well in advance at around 12 noon students were advised to head out. Knowing well that this may have happened, why open the college in the first place and close early after just few hours adding to the rush of traffic. The face lift Chennai has received is not in good taste and has the looks of some political "Maanadu". The Valai Maram and the vegetable pandals would rot in the Chennai heat in just half a day!

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by Warwithwheels

How is the situation in Chennai right now?

I came to work at 130pm prepared for 3 hour commute, it was an anti-climax that I reached office (11 km) in 22 mins flat Few observations:

- Shops are closed all along the way. Avoided Saidapet,Guindy on purpose and took the long way around through Greenways Road.
- OMR was an unusual breeze.
- My office MLCP was just about 50% full. Many chose to work for home.
- Kids' school in OMR was declared the day off. Some colleges were off too.

It was a total mess yesterday from Saidapet to ABT around the same time (130 pm). Took half hour to cross this 1 km stretch. Again stopped for 15 min at Kathipara.

[Gansan]

This afternoon around 1.30 pm all traffic was stopped at kathipara. I was traveling from SRMU to Guindy by bus, and it stopped just short of Kathipara. I was planning to eat Lunch at Sangeetha, Guindy. The bus was held up for more than half an hour and there was no sign of moving. So got down and walked underneath the Kathipara overpass towards Guindy. As I reached Le Meridien hotel, even pedestrians were stopped, and I had to wait there. Finally the motorcade passed at 2.30 PM, but I could not see the Chinese premier, saw only his famous car! By the time I reached Sangeetha for my lunch it was 3.00 PM.

[namanski]

My residence is towards Muttukadu. Saw both PM India's cavalcade consisting of Land Cruisers/Fortuners and the Chinese President's cavalcade with Hongqi cars and Mercedes Sprinter vans ply through the new ECR makeover.

ECR was cordoned off completely. No traffic allowed in or out. OMR was shut from Padur onwards. Sholinganallur junction was shut towards Uthandi. ECR-Kelambakkam toll road was also closed until 10pm.

Policemen and women were appointed to societies along ECR where they did not let any vehicle exit the gate until the two cavalcades, along with the CM's cavalcade passed through.

[BenjiRoss]

I had a horrible commute into Chennai (from Vellore on Sunday afternoon). I was going to Annanagar and the stretch between Poonamallee and Madhuravayol / Vanagaram and beyond was horrendous. First there were bad roads - it was even worse than when I had driven 20 days ago.
After this, traffic came to a standstill with inching! I'm not sure what caused this - construction, bad roads, rain damage or just regular traffic. Traffic out of Chennai on this section seemed to be going smoothly. With a drizzle and wet, soggy roads the drive was very tiring even for me!
Here are some dash-cam videos. The first two are of the bad roads and the last 10 minute video is the inching traffic.
On our way out of Chennai at 7 PM it was quite a smooth flow of traffic except for some bad stretches.
I may need to figure out another way of getting to Annanagar next time I drive to Chennai - any suggestions?
Maybe next time we can request the Chinese Premier to drive down to Chennai from Bangalore - that will fix the problem!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gx-A5naRbYE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0XzdkgGECw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Odyxjsrycjo

[saisree]

Originally Posted by BenjiRoss

Maybe next time we can request the Chinese Premier to drive down to Chennai from Bangalore - that will fix the problem!

Many including myself had the same opinion. The way they readied the stretch from Airport to Mahabs requires a special mention. Silky Roads!!

If not for the Xi Jing atleast our PM/CM has to travel in these roads.

[Prowler]

Originally Posted by BenjiRoss

Maybe next time we can request the Chinese Premier to drive down to Chennai from Bangalore - that will fix the problem!

What makes you think Benji that the Chinese Premier trip had changed our decrepit roads into Silky smooth Autobahn ? Sorry to burst the bubble. I travel in ECR/OMR all the time and I see no change even on the day of his visit. Mere coat of white paint on the line markings was the only visible change.