Good morning, Chennai!
⛅ Today’s weather: Sunny weather with some cloud cover.
🧐 Did you know? When it comes to mobility in India, Chennai has a unique history. The Murugappa Group made the first bicycle, and Royal Enfield the first motorcycle.
📵 Driving and phones are a fatal mix
Driving using phones results in 200 deaths a year in the city.
What’s it about? Using the phone while driving is illegal, but people rarely comply or get caught. Whether it’s two or four-wheelers, using the phone while driving can lead to fatal consequences. According to the Chennai Police, they book an average of 800 cases of people using their phones while driving.
- Bike taxi drivers fix their phones on the handlebar to navigate and take calls from their next customers. When it comes to cars, it’s hard to tell the difference between the driver using Bluetooth to take a call or listening to music.
- With the increased use of earbuds and in-car calling features, the police have a hard time catching people. The only thing left is to raise awareness of the dangers of driving and talking.
What can be done? The Motor Vehicle Act states talking while driving is an offence. One way to help is to have more CCTV cameras to catch violators.
🏦 Dedicated MSME processing hub
Tamilnad Mercantile Bank (TMB) opened its first processing hub for Medium and Small Enterprises (MSMEs).
What’s it about? TMB announced the opening of its first dedicated processing hub for MSMEs in the city. It’s part of the bank’s plan to open other similar centres across the state and pan-India.
- The bank wants to efficiently deliver its services and products to MSME clients. The new centre will cater to the needs of MSMEs by reducing turnaround time and increasing the MSME portfolio of TMB.
- The hub will help segregate the source of proposals and credit decisions, maintain uniform appraisal standards, and reduce the time taken to sanction credit for MSME lending.
🚸 Rail subway design insufficient
Ambattur residents aren’t happy with the design of the railway crossing subway.
What’s it about? As construction of the subway across the crossing near the Ambattur station began, residents said the design was faulty. It’s apparently too narrow for cars to pass each other. They’re worried it’ll lead to traffic congestion.
- The proposed subway design is twelve-foot-wide with a five-foot pedestrian crossing on one side. Residents say the width should be bigger, probably at least 15 feet.
- The project has been in the works for quite some time and is expected to be used by a large number of motorists. Residents complained that the Corporation should’ve sought public opinion.
Necessity: Without the subway, people travelling from Menambedu will have to take a detour to Korattur. This will also be an important link if the Ambattur flyover will be repaired.
🛣️ Perungalathur flyover progress
Second phase of the flyover is expected to be open by the end of this month.
What’s it about? Work on the second phase of the flyover attached to the Oval Roundtana is complete. This section could be opened to the public by the end of June.
- The flyover will connect Srinivasanagar, New Perungalathur with the highways. It’s also expected to reduce traffic congestion along the Chennai-Trichy national highways.
- Another portion of the flyover from Vandalur to Peerkankaranai Lake via Tambaram and Chengalpattu was opened last September.
History: While it was first proposed in the year 2000 by the Railways and Highways departments, the project has been delayed by more than a decade. Issues concerning land acquisition and the pandemic didn’t help matters. The project’s budget ballooned from ₹86 crore to ₹286 crore since its launch.
📊 Today’s Poll
(Only subscribers can participate in the polls)
Have you ever cycled to your workplace?
- Yes, I have cycled to my workplace.
- No, I haven’t cycled to my workplace.
❓ Today’s Question
(Only subscribers can submit their answers)
If Chennai had an official ambassador, who should it be?
Reply to this email with your answers.
🗞️ In other news…
- Some light rainfall is forecast for the city over the next two days.
- IIT Madras, for the fifth consecutive year, ranked no.1 overall in the 2023 NIRF India rankings.
- Lack of mobility choices in the city is affecting its growth story.
- Surat’s SaaS startups are taking inspiration from Chennai’s success.
- Chennai-Kolkata operations are still in flux and haven’t been streamlined since the Balasore derailment.
🛋️ Local Lounge
Yesterday’s Poll:
- I regularly shop at duty-free stores when I fly: 20.0%
- I don’t regularly shop at duty-free stores when I fly: 80.0% 🏆
Answers to Yesterday’s Question:
Which Indian airport do you think is the best?
Kalaiarasi: “Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport”
That’s it for today. Have a great day!