Good morning, Chennai!
☁️ Today’s weather: Cloudy skies with the possibility of some rain.
🧐 Did you know? The Royal Madras Yacht Club (RMYC) was the first sailing Club in South India. It was founded in 1911 by Francis Spring, the then Chairman of the Madras Port Trust.
🏍️ Watch your speed
The Chennai Traffic Police will introduce new speed readers to catch speeding violations.
What’s it about? The Greater Chennai Traffic Police (GCTP) will introduce thirty speed radar guns to detect speeding violations. Per existing rules, the speed limit is 40 kmph from 7am to 10pm and above 50 kmph from 10pm to 7am. With the new speed guns, a traffic challan will be automatically generated.
- With ten speed guns already installed, Police Commissioner Shankar Jiwal said the speed limit is 40 kmph to reduce accidents. This could vary depending on the vehicle. For autorickshaws, it should be 25 kmph.
- The GCTP has installed six new digital speed boards at some locations to educate motorists. It’ll indicate if they’re driving over the speed limit but won’t generate e-challans.
Challenges: Commissioner Jiwal said catching speeding motorists remains a challenge. It’s hard for the traffic police to only rely on police officers physically being present. This is why the speed guns will come in handy.
📽️ Farewell to a Chennai landmark
The closure of the Prarthana drive-in theatre is the end of an era.
Story so far: In the 90s, the iconic drive-in theatre at East Coast Road (ECR), probably the only one in the city, gave Chennaites a unique movie-going experience. People travelled from different parts of the city to experience its old-world charm. The theatre stopped functioning a few years ago.
- A residential complex from the Baashyaam Group will come up in its place. For many, a trip to the theatre was like a family picnic. For some, it was part of a weekend getaway since it was close to a Saibaba temple.
- Prarthana theatre was a rare breed – a single-screen drive-in. This, along with the 70mm single-screen Aaradhana, was a way for people to have the big-screen experience on a budget.
Legacy theatres & the future: Prarthana isn’t the only theatre that’s going away. Srinivasa Theatre is also closing down. During the pandemic, several theatres shut down. With streaming and more modern multiplexes, people have multiple options. There isn’t adequate space in the city to have a theatre like Prarthana.
⚧️ Transgender stories
The second edition of Kadhaipoma Vanga showcases stories from and by the transgender community.
What’s it about? Born2Win founder Swetha Sudhakar began the storytelling session to help connect with people and raise awareness about the transgender community. The second edition of the Kadhaipoma Vanga is back with the 15th year of Chennai Pride to provide insight into the daily struggles of the transgender community.
- Sharing personal stories is a better way to raise awareness and educate people according to Swetha. It helps reduce societal stigma and break stereotypes about transgender persons.
- The event, in collaboration with Rotary 3232, will feature performances by Gana Vimala, poetry reading, and talks from entrepreneur Nazeer Mohammed and senior transgender social worker Sheela James, among others.
Why it’s necessary: Born2Win is in its tenth year of functioning. It helps educate and empower members of the transgender community. By telling stories, the organisation hopes to reach and connect more people. Hearing from transgender people themselves about their experiences offers unique insight.
⛈️ Rains affect travel plans
As the city witnessed heavy rain on Monday, travel plans for several people across the city were disrupted.
What happened? Flights and trains were delayed, cancelled, or diverted due to inoperable conditions and flooded train tracks. For officegoers, public transportation options were limited.
- Due to flooded streets, the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) couldn’t operate about one-fifth of its fleet during peak hours. Most MTC buses were delayed in the morning due to traffic on arterial roads.
- Taxi operators and autorickshaw drivers increased their fares. Some cab drivers didn’t want to venture out for fear of damaging their cars resulting in high repair costs. Share autos were in short supply.
Airport and train delays: 10 international flights were diverted to Bengaluru, which later arrived in Chennai in the afternoon yesterday. On Monday, evening suburban trains were delayed at the Moore Market Complex station. With express trains like the Lalbagh Express halted at Avadi and other cancellations, suburban trains were overcrowded.
📊 Today’s Poll
(Only subscribers can participate in the polls)
Have you watched a movie at the Prarthana drive-in theatre?
- Yes, I watched a movie at the Prarthana drive-in theatre.
- No, I haven’t watched a movie at the Prarthana drive-in theatre.
❓ Today’s Question
(Only subscribers can submit their answers)
What’s your favourite type of cake?
Reply to this email with your answers.
🗞️ In other news…
- Tambaram roads were flooded and affected traffic due to the heavy rains.
- MTC sought approval to increase its borrowing limit to ₹4,500 crore.
- Handicrafts and clothes from across India will be on sale at the India Haat Festival in Chennai.
- Traffic police inaugurated a new live traffic monitor system for instant updates.
- Chennai Corporation conducted several health camps across the city in the wake of heavy rains.
🛋️ Local Lounge
Yesterday’s Poll:
- The quality of schools in the city is generally good: 90.0% 🏆
- The quality of schools in the city is below average/bad: 10.0%
Answers to Yesterday’s Question:
What would be your first expenditure if you won the lottery?
Shiva: “Home”
Dheeraj: “To buy a car for my family”
That’s it for today. Have a great day!