Vehicles clog several thoroughfares in Chennai

[1]

It was a nightmare for commuters in the city on Wednesday after the earthquake and the ensuing tsunami alert.

Traffic was disrupted in several arterial roads as panicking employees and office-goers rushed out of offices to reach their homes. As buses and share autos got stuck in traffic snarls, passengers were forced to walk to reach their destinations.

Though the commercial hub T.Nagar was bustling with crowds, shops remained empty as traders and sales persons stood outside for several hours.

As soon as the tremors were felt in the city, many offices, private firms in particular, closed for the day and all arterial roads were suddenly flooded with hundreds of vehicles from around 3 pm resulting in traffic snarls that lasted till 5 pm. Even interior roads witnessed traffic jams as motorists tried to move ahead through available openings.

Anna Salai (till Kathipara), Dams Road, Kamaraj Salai, Sardar Patel Road and 100 Feet Road were the worst hit. “I wanted to reach home as early as possible to see my family as they could not be reached over phone.

However, it was an arduous task to cross Anna Salai because vehicles were queuing up for many kilometres,” said Mr Prasanna, a resident of Adambakkam, who was heading home from Beach Road.

MTC buses also ran behind schedule till evening. “Vehicles started to pour onto roads from 3 pm creating abrupt traffic snarls in the Inner Ring Road from Kathipara Junction till KK Nagar, causing around an hour’s delay in schedule,” said an MTC driver of route No. 70 bus route (Tambaram-Avadi).

“As the share auto I was travelling in got stuck in traffic, I reached my office in Guindy by walking as it seemed to be a better option,” said Ramkumar, a private firm employee.