A RERUN OF 2020

A RERUN OF 2020

As curbs kick in, city turns into ghost town

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:07.05.2021

Crowded shopping hub Ranganathan Street fell silent around 12.30pm on Thursday when the last of the shops and vegetable vendors closed up for the day as the government’s stringent restrictions to control spread of Covid-19 kicked in.

By 6pm, only a handful of commuters who alighted from suburban trains at Mambalam station were found on the street. Similar was the scene at pedestrian plaza on Pondy Bazaar.

The deserted pavement turned into a play ground for homeless children, who rocked away on the toy ducks as bored auto drivers looked on.

The sparse traffic and shuttered shops brought back memories of the complete lockdown imposed last year when the pandemic was at its peak.

Arterial roads like Anna Salai, Poonamallee High Road and 100ft Road did not see heavy traffic. “Around 50% of vehicles were off the road in most places in the evening,” said a motorist.

“It’s not a full shutdown yet. But it looks like we are headed there. This is not a good sign,” said Muthu, an auto driver.

Suburban stations only saw railway staff and frontline workers, while metro trains had a moderate occupancy as people used them to get back home.

Railway staff deployed on the platforms checked identity cards of commuters at suburban stations and at MRTS stations to ensure that they are eligible for travel.

Railways has also cancelled its unreserved special trains to small towns including services from Tambaram to Villupuram and Chennai to Puducherry following a request from the state government.

Police were back on patrol, warning owners at markets and crowded areas like Mylapore, Royapettah and Anna Nagar. “We moved around to ensure that traders followed the noon deadline. No action was taken as it’s the first day. People who took time to close the shops were given a warning,” said an officer.

T K Pandian, who travelled by bus to Parrys Corner said the occupancy was moderate. “The frequency was also good from Anna Nagar. I took a metro train to return home. I saw around 12 to 14 people walking into the station at high court,” he said.

“The government should allow plumbing, auto repairs, electrical and electronics servicing centres to work. These are essential,” he added.