Why do people step out of their homes? Police collate reasons

Stern action on the cards, based on the data collected

02/04/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,CHENNAI

Lockdown farce The checks led to a jam on Padi flyover on Wednesday morning. M. Vedhan.

It looked like rush hour on Padi flyover on Wednesday morning as close to a hundred vehicles clogged the roads after the police conducted a surprise check on motorists flouting the lockdown.

The men and women in uniform stopped every vehicle and noted down registration numbers. “We wanted to find out how many people step out of their houses for essentials and medical emergencies and how many just to roam the streets. We are also checking to find out how many are going around the city with curfew passes,” said a senior officer.

Further action will be taken based on the data collected. “We will decide if we have to reduce the number of curfew passes or take measures to prevent people from leaving their locality,” the officer added.

The checking led to a jam on the flyover, a junction for vehicles coming from Villivakkam, Thirumangalam, Korattur and Retteri. “There were too many people. Since we checked each vehicle, there was a pile-up,” said an officer.

M. Balaji, a motorist who was on the way to a hospital with his mother, said: “They checked our papers and took down details. The police did their duty as people are roaming the streets without realising the seriousness of the pandemic.”