Due to sluggish traffic movement, commuters were stuck on the roads for hours on end. Since the MTC bus services were affected, many turned to train services to reach their respective destinations. However, train services were also hit on certain sections.
The continuous rains left many parts of the city inundated.
“I left Sardar Patel Road around 2.30 p.m. and headed for Anna Salai. But, by 4.15 p.m., I had reached only North Boag Road. The vehicles were moving very slowly,” said Anuradha Raghuraman, a homemaker. Sudeesh, a marketing executive, complained that bus services were affected.
“I waited for nearly an hour for a bus on route 21 on Anna Salai. I then took an MRTS service to reach my house in Mandavelli,” he said.
According to police officers, often, water entered the engines and exhaust pipes of vehicles. “In Vadapalani, Saidapet and T. Nagar, many motorists were stranded,” said a police officer.
The entire traffic police force was on the road trying to ensure the free flow of vehicles. “A holiday should have been declared for all government offices. This would have reduced the number of vehicles,” said a police source.
Meanwhile, a senior MTC official claimed that many buses were stuck in the jam.
“The vehicles were not moving freely in some parts of the city like Saidapet. We thought of improving the services once the rain stopped. But it never happened,” said an official.
Residents were also left in the lurch as cab services were not available. “None of the drivers were willing to take risks and spoil their cars. Besides, many autorickshaws were also not plying as water entered the vehicles,” said C. Cyril, a resident of Santhome.
A traffic police officer said that had they ensured that traffic was smooth on the arterial roads. “We diverted all the buses through the Bangalore Highway and they went through Sriperumbudur,” said an officer.
