Date:09/01/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/01/09/stories/2009010957980300.htm

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Oil shortage lessens tempo of traffic

Staff Reporter

Queues at certain petrol bunks spilled on to roads

CHENNAI: The city on Thursday witnessed a few traffic snarls, not because of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit but owing to rush for automobile fuel.

Vehicle-users had to endure long queues at petrol bunks or were stranded without fuel as several bunks were closed in the face of product shortage, which is attributed to the ongoing strike by officers of public sector oil companies. Traffic snarls were reported from several places, including the Anna Flyover, Teynampet and Adyar, as queues at petrol bunks spilled on to the roads.

“Even delegates attending the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas can be put to difficulty, if the fuel scarcity continues,” Parveen Travels transport manager R. Prasanna Kumar said. The travel agency, which was in-charge of taking the delegates around the city, had fuel stocks only for a day, he said.

Traffic diversion

Traffic was diverted on some stretches of Anna Salai and Sardar Patel Road to facilitate the movement of the convoy of Dr. Singh.

Road-users had to take long detours. After attending a function at the Chennai Trade Centre, Dr. Singh left for Maduravoyal at 11 a.m. when the traffic at Madhya Kailash was opened. Vehicles proceeding towards or from Adyar, Besant Nagar, Thiruvanmiyur, Guindy and Saidapet were delayed.

All vehicle-users from Saidapet heading towards Guindy were asked to reach their destination using Rajiv Gandhi Salai Taramani–Velachery Road.

Many people who were waiting at Madhya Kailash bus stop were unable to get a bus to Guindy when the diversions were in force. Vehicles that came from Velachery via Rajiv Gandhi Salai, Taramani, were held up at Madhya Kailash for over an hour.

Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Sunil Kumar said that similar traffic diversions would be in force in the city on Friday to facilitate VVIP movement.