The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Call taxis

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Monday, Oct 06, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Call taxis

I find that call taxis are very popular in Coimbatore. All taxis are fitted with working fare meters.

The fare is collected according to the meter reading.

There is no bargaining over fares unlike with automen. Even though the call taxi fare is higher than that of the auto, people prefer call taxis to autos.

C. Bhaskaran,

Erode.

Bus stand toilets

There are two urinals on the east side of the Salem new busstand and a ‘pay and use’ toilet in the south-east corner. Since there is no proper flush system, a bad smell emanates from the toilets. The Salem Municipal Commissioner should depute his health officer to study the situation and take necessary steps to redress the problem.

G. Abdul Haseeb,

Salem.

Courier charge

Courier operators charge Rs. 20 a cover for delivery within the state which is exorbitant. The postal department should make arrangements to deliver articles within the state in 24 hours. The system may be named ‘Sure shot’. The department can charge Rs. 10 a cover.

Nandini,

Salem.

Publication possible

This refers to ‘Focus on the latent’ (Sept. 29) on the 86-year-old K.V. Srinivasan and his Herculean efforts to bring out a nine-volume book Thathuva Ramayanam. I am sad that it has not yet been printed. It is not at all difficult to get his magnum opus printed in Tamil Nadu. There are a few reputed publishing firms like Chennai-based Seethaiyammal Pathipagam which recently published a book on Anna Durai in three volumes running into 2,852 pages.

T.N. Arthanari,

Salem.

Religious harmony

The report ‘Mangalore mallige, symbol of secularism’ (Sept. 25) made interesting reading. Nature does not teach hatred, but it teaches only religious harmony. I feel that the phrase ‘symbol of religious harmony’ could have been used instead of ‘symbol of secularism’.

N. Venkataraman,

Mettupalayam.

Power cut

The Government announced recently that the two-hour power cut will be between 12 noon and 2 p.m. in Vadavalli instead of between 10 a.m. and 12 noon.

What difference does this make?

Power cut takes place during nights too for about three to four hours. People from all walks of life and industries all over Tamil Nadu have expressed their difficulties. Industries incur production loss and also face labour problem. The Government should lift the unscheduled power cuts. As the power cut has existed for more than six months, it is time the Government made alternative arrangements to tide over the problem so that people can lead a normal life.

A.D. Rangaswamy Iyengar,

Coimbatore.

Transport woes

This refers to the photograph (Students at the collectorate with their bus passes) under the head ‘Have a heart’ (Sept. 2). This shows how heartless are the bus crew. This is not an isolated incident. Everyone is at the mercy of the Transport Corporation bus crew. Will the authorities look into this and help the hapless commuters?

A. Vellingiri,

N.G.G.O. Colony.

Railway station

Coimbatore has been making rapid strides in the field of engineering, health care, education and industries, big and small. Work on Tidel Park is being expedited. The IT park will be situated at the Hopes College junction and the government estimates around one lack people will be employed, both direct and indirect. Avanashi Road has so many corporate institutions and colleges and work on a six-lane road is in progress.

Hence if a railway station is built at the Hope College area it will benefit a number of people. The railway station may be built adjacent to the Tidel Park.

V. Balasubramanian,

Coimbatore.

Save electricity

When a lot is being said about the frequent power cuts nothing has been done to advertise the need to save electricity.

In many government and private offices lights and fans are not switched off when they are not needed.

Tamil Nadu Electricity Board should exhibit prominently posters in all offices and public places asking people to save electricity.

Douglasraja

Coimbatore.

Migration certificate

The plight of students who have joined the first year post-graduate courses in colleges affiliated to Bharathiar University is pathetic indeed. Those who have done their undergraduate courses in other universities have been asked to submit migration certificates from their respective universities to satisfy eligibility criteria for admission to PG courses (provisional certificate of under-graduation is enough for eligibility). Bharathiar University is asking the students to bring migration certificates from universities which are recognised by the University Grants Commission.

The concept of migration certificates came into existence when students from abroad were getting admitted in various Indian universities.

But this has been misinterpreted by a few authorities in Bharathiar University. Bharathiar University’s order on the migration certificate has caused a lot of troubles for students most of whom have come from Bangalore, Hyderabad and North Indian Universities. I request the Vice-Chancellor and the Registrar to look into this and save the students from further torments.

Thiagarajan. B,

Coimbatore.

Living in the past

This is the age of internet. But why the P&T department needs to reiterate the point is beyond me.

After all, the department sells stamps and postcards and postmen still cheerfully deliver letters to many a home!

Why then does it remove the already few and far between post boxes from our roads? Just two, recently laid to rest, were at INS Agrani and the AIR Station.

Having learnt to write over 70 years ago it is not easy switching to punching keys. Besides a letter provides the thrill of touch and feel and a touch of mystery too.

An email on the computer screen is a poor substitute and often cannot be read owing to power cuts.

Will the P&T department please not only restore the uprooted ones but increase the number and locations of post boxes for those who like to “live in the past”!

M. Vania,

Coimbatore.

Speed breakers

Day in and day out state-run and private buses and automobiles zip both ways from the north of VOC Park and ATT Colony junction on the east of the park. Two-wheelers overtake from the left while negotiating the dangerous curve opposite The Hindu office.

Speed breakers should be installed opposite Officer’s Club and Stanes School western side compound to avert fatal accidents.

Y.V. Visveswaran,

Coimbatore.

Bus service

Tamilnadu State Transport Corporation, Coimbatore, should introduce a town bus with the board ‘Ukkadam to Ukkadam’ covering the following areas: Vysial Syreet/Selvapuram/Telengupalayam Pirivu, Perur, Chettipalayam/Postal Colony/Sundaikaimuthur/Kovaipudur/Kunmiamuthur/ Attupalam/ Ukkadam. This bus should be run in the morning and the evening on an experimental basis.

G. Radhakrishnan,

Coimbatore.

Voters’ list

My mother and I reside at Janaki Nagar, Ganapathy, which comes under Thondmuthur Assembly constituency. Our names were in the voters’ list and we have been casting votes for the last many years. When the field staff of the election department came for the preparation of the latest electoral rolls, we furnished all details along with our photos. Recently a field official came to us with the latest electoral rolls for verification. I was shocked to find that my name had been omitted though my mother’s was very much there. When I asked about this, the official’s terse reply was “Go to the taluk office”. I am 80 years old with indifferent health but still I went to the taluk office. The response I got there was very casual and unhelpful. Because of the crass manner in which the electoral rolls are prepared, I lost my democratic right of being a voter for no fault of mine. Will the concerned supervisory staff and the election tahsildar look into the matter and take remedial measures and restore my name in the electoral roll?

K.P. Swaminathan,

Coimbatore.

Railway reservation

Vadavalli and its suburbs from P.N. Pudur at one end up to Marudhamalai at the other end have been developing at a fast pace. However, residents in these areas have to go to North Coimbatore or Gandhipuram bus stand to get train tickets booked. I therefore request the railway authorities to open an online railway reservation counter at Vadavalli.

R. Ragavan,

Coimbatore.

Bus parking

On Robertson Road end (near TNAU campus back gate) many air buses are parked one behind the other at night and in the day too. Similarly, on Scheme Road, which is an extension of Third Street of P.M. Swamy Colony, many trucks are parked opposite Corporation Park, day and night.

Parking vehicles on the road causes a lot of inconvenience to people residing in the nearby area.

At night these vehicles serve as comfortable hideouts for anti-social elements. Moreover, the nearby slum dwellers attend to nature’s call behind the vehicles early morning. I hope the Corporation officials and the police will put an end to this.

S. Gautama,

Coimbatore

Cable TV

Cable TV operators charge higher subscription rates but do not telecast all channels. The most-sought-after sports channel is Ten Sports.

But when there are important programmes like India-Sri Lanka ODIs the channel does not work. Jaya Plus TV telecasts are invariably blacked out. These tantamount to breach of contract.

M.R. Pillai,

Coimbatore.

(Readers can mail to cbereaders@thehindu.co.in with address and phone number)

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