Drivers say the presence of cattle on roads like the Chennai-Thiruvallur road, Phase II of Rajiv Gandhi Salai, the northern sector of the Inner Ring Road near Puzhal has made it difficult to drive during the day.
Accidents occur when heavy vehicles, including container trailers, attempt to avoid cattle. “There are a lot of two wheelers and cars on these roads and they get involved in accidents. Tamil Nadu Independent Vehicle Owners Association Jude Mathew said, “We do not see any response to the complaints from the authorities concerned.”
“In Puzhal, the corporation captures the cattle, but they are freed after a few days and the cows are back on the road. Motorists can manage even if the cattle stop, but they cross the road scaring the two-wheeler riders,” he said.
The problem was not confined to these two roads, but spread to other state highways and roads under the control of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). “The CTH road from Tiruninravu to Tiruvallur in both directions, Avadi-Poonamallee State Highway, Tiruninravur-Periyapalayam Via Pakkamand even the service road of the Outer Ring Road has a large number of cattle.
Cattle are sleeping near Hindu College railway station. We need some kind of regulation for cattle. Local bodies, state highways and NHAI need to expedite their work. Due to COVID-19, their concentration is elsewhere and motorists are suffering,” T. Sadagopan, consumer activist said.
the owners don’t care
Even the IT Highway Rajiv Gandhi Salai is not free of cattle sleeping on the road. The second leg of the road has a lot of cattle roaming freely. “The owners don’t seem worried about it. Sometimes, cattle get injured and are left on the road to die,” said Harsh Koda, a resident of OMR.
NHAI officials said that roads were patrolled under their control to ensure that the cattle did not come on the carriageway. A senior official said the frequency of patrolling would be increased to check infiltration.
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