MTH road turns accident-prone zone

The increasing mishaps on the arterial Madras – Tiruvallur High Road (MTH) or CTH Road has residents and road users worried. In the past two weeks alone, the stretch of the road between Dunlop point and Ambattur has witnessed a major (though non-fatal) accident and several minor mishaps.

On Sunday, a Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) bus and a car collided on the important stretch near the Dunlop company point, shocking shop keepers. Although there was no loss of life, the accident caused injuries to several passengers of the bus and the occupants of the car as well.

Similarly, when a mini-truck driver from Padi steered left into a lane that leads to Ambattur Industrial Estate, the vehicle rammed into an oncoming lorry. The mishap occurred as there was too little space for the driver to manoeuvre and go ahead from the MTH Road side as the available space was eaten away by haphazardly-parked vehicles.

Also, there had been several other minor accidents mostly involving two-wheelers. In one such accident, a two-wheeler rider was thrown off his vehicle when he inadvertently hit concrete blocks — used as road dividers — abutting the Ambattur Industrial Estate Bus Terminus.

Incidentally, it was similar concrete blocks that caused the latest accident near Dunlop involving a bus and a car. The bus overran the boulder like blocks and rammed into the car.

K Sujith, a vendor, says that despite the MTH Road being a busy stretch, there was no adequate lighting at several points. “Adequate illumination, a sturdy road and proper medians are among the requisites that could help avoid accidents.”

K Manickam, a resident of Padi, says that there are no reflectors either. “It is important. These reflectors — small or big - will caution drivers about road margins and medians and help judge the situation.”

Other residents like S Sudhakar, add that there are boulders on the road in several points. “These concrete blocks, like the ones near Dunlop and Ambattur bus terminus must necessarily be replaced with a proper median with reflectors,” they say.

“Also, you can find sand and mud on the road. This makes the road skid-prone. Attention must be paid to clean up the road everyday. The parking on the road should be regulated. Busy, crowded stretches should be declared no-parking zones,” they urged.

The MTH road is one of the key stretches of NH-205. It runs for over 22 km starting from Padi to Tiruninravur connecting Chennai with Andhra Pradesh.