On the western side, the arterial stretch of Chennai–Thiruvallur High (CTH) Road which serves as the gateway to the city provides access to industrial units in Padi, Korattur and Ambattur facilitating the development of various localities.
The CTH Road, which links the city with Thiruvallur district, has transformed Korattur, Ambattur, Thirumullaivoyal, Avadi, Pattabhiram and Thiruninravur into bustling commuter towns. And naturally, the road witnesses heavy traffic.
Even though, residents living in these areas have the option of using the suburban railway facility that links the city to Thiruvallur, Arakkonam and Tiruttani, the highway continues to see traffic jams.
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The reason: People are forced to rely on private transport due to the lack of public transport and limited train services to Thiruvallur and Tiruttani.
T. Sadagopan, a social activist from Pattabhiram, complains about the inadequacy of the public transport services being operated along CTH Road for those travelling to Thiruvallur, Tiruttani and Tirupati. Several buses are operated on Poonamallee High Road from the Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus (CMBT) in Koyambedu, which pass through Thiruvallur to Tiruttani and Tirupati. The same could not be said about CTH Road, he points out.
Residents of localities on CTH Road recall how route no. 97C, from Koyambedu to Tiruttani, was stopped some years ago citing poor road condition. Now, that CTH Road has been widened and repaired, the service should be restored, they say.
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People travelling frequently from Chennai to Bengaluru are familiar with the frustrating experience of being harassed to pay a road tax. Now, a group has demanded that the Central Government implement one road tax for all states.
Often, commuters coming from Tamil Nadu, especially Hosur, are forced to pay a hefty tax while in Karnataka, even if it happens to be only for a short duration.
Karnataka has amended its Motor Vehicle Taxation Act and now collects lifetime tax for vehicles plying in the state for over a month, according to Waseem Memon, who is leading the group.
He said Karnataka officials show little consideration for people coming from other states and as a result the group has filed a petition in Karnataka High Court against the recent Motor Vehicle Taxation Amendment and got a stay order on it, he added. The group has started a petition on change.org and have also begun a facebook pagehttps://www.facebook.com/groups/drivewithoutborders/which has close to 30,000 members.
(Reporting by
R. Srikanth and
Kavita Kishore)