This cab is ‘booked’: Driver, teacher set up mobile stalls

This cab is ‘booked’: Driver, teacher set up mobile stalls

Srikkanth.D@timesgroup.com

Chennai:13.08.2021

A little more than a year ago, Michael Crichton, Robert Ludlum, Jeffrey Archer, Dan Brown were names that Gopalan and Nageswaran (names changed) couldn’t care less about. Now, pandemic-induced salary cut and restriction in transport services have forced them to become sellers of old and used books. They now have sufficient knowledge about the bestselling paperbacks.

One is still a physical education teacher at a private school; the other a cab driver. While they were not acquainted with each other previously, both have set up mobile book stalls in their cars along busy Lake View Road in Madipakkam.

“My grandfather used to sell old books in the Moore market which was destroyed in a fire in1985. After the initial months of lockdown when cab services were allowed, there was no brisk business and the few who came about were also Covid patients. Since I had a little knowledge about this, I took it up,” says 50-year-old Nageshwaran. Every morning, he loads his cab with books from his house in Perumbakkam and then stations outside an apartment complex in Mambakkam. In the evenings, he sets shop along the Madipakkam lake.

Ganesan’s salary as a physical education teacher at a private school was cut due to the pandemic, forcing him to take up the side job. “My elder sister’s family is in the business. When I explained my situation, they suggested I take this up. Since I have my own car, I used it as a stall instead of opting for a rented stall or store,” says the 40-year-old.

Ganesan, who has been a PET for16 years, never foresaw this situation. “In the initial days, I was more embarrassed about selling books in a public place. Over time, it has come down. Now, even if management restores salary, I think I will try and continue this mobile stall.”

ALTERNATE MEASURES: After his salary as a physical education teacher at a private school was cut due to the pandemic, Ganesan decided to sell books to add to his income

Velachery bus terminus in bad shape

Velachery bus terminus in bad shape

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:13.08.2021

The bus terminus at Velachery, frequented by thousands of commuters every day, lacks basic amenities and ongoing flyover work has worsened the waiting area too.

Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) operates buses along a dozen important routes from Velachery to other areas in the city like Ambattur (D70), Perambur (29N) and Thiruporur (568B). But the bus terminus is able to accommodate only four buses at a time. Therefore, passengers are forced to wait for buses under extreme heat or rain.

Some of them wait under treesa few yards away, and run when the buses reach the terminus. There are sign boards showing list of buses which are expected to arrive or depart from the terminus. The public address system too is defunct most of the times, complain regular MTC bus commuters.

Senior citizens and students, who arrive at the terminus, also don't have shelters while they wait in long queues to get concessional or free passes renewed. In the opposite side (towards Tambaram), the bus stand has been completely dismantled.

S Kumara Raja from the Federation of Velachery Welfare Association said that the ideal location to shift the bus terminus would be the Mass Rapid Transit System premises (located diagonally opposite to the existing terminus location) so that people getting down from the local train can easily board buses to their respective areas or vice-versa.

If the discussion between the Union and state governments is not fetching any results, MTC should start looking at other possibilities. There is a 1.75-acre vacant plot, which belongs to Dhandeeswarar temple, on Taramani Road. Right now, private omni buses are using this facility. MTC can pay or take this land for lease to construct a terminus, he added.

S Vignesh of Madipakkam said even the approach roads towards the terminus are lying battered for years and traffic congestion worsens every day during peak hours.

An MTC official in response said the highways department, which is constructing the flyover, has promised to finish it by December end and only then a decision can be taken whether to develop the terminus at the existing location or to shifting to a new location.

Driving through Royapettah clock tower junction? Pray

Driving through Royapettah clock tower junction? Pray

Ayyappan.V@timesgroup.com

Chennai:13.08.2021

If you are stuck in the traffic at Royapettah clock tower junction in the evenings, be ready to wait endlessly as vehicular movement in the stretch is chaotic and often unregulated.

At 6.45pm on Thursday, at least ten two-wheeler riders were seen jumping the signal and driving in different directions in a span of around five minutes.

The junction appears gridlocked as traffic from Bharati Salai is allowed into General Patters Road. This set of vehicles intersect with those from Whites Road to Bharati Salai and vehicles from GH side to Bharati Salai. This criss-crossing traffic does not move in accordance with the traffic signals. The problem started soon after authorities opened General Patters Road for two-way traffic almost two years ago, said a regular commuter on the stretch.

Motorists, especially twowheelers, routinely jump signals even though a traffic police post is located close by. Signal violations are not penalised.

Mohammed K, who runs a shop near the junction, said that there are no traffic blocks but people violate the red signals and drive into different streets often coming close to collision. “They just drive away,” he said. The police sometimes crack down on parking and often tow away motorcycles and regulate the autorickshaws, he added.

Darshan V, a local resident, said, “You will need to drive carefully to prevent from getting hit by a two-wheeler. They appear to be coming from every direction. There is no order at all.”

The intersection that connects traffic from Mandaveli to Anna Salai and Royapettah and Beach and vice versa gets congested on weekends.

A traffic policeman on duty said that the two-way system is not the problem. “The traffic signal pattern that regulates flow of vehicles from each road needs to be changed. This will prevent motorists from trying to drive across. This will be tried out in the coming days.”

Space below three flyovers in city to be turned into leisure places for the public

Space below three flyovers in city to be turned into leisure places for the public

Komal Gautham@timesgroup.com

Chennai:13.08.2021

The space under flyovers is either used for dumping construction debris or as illegal parking space for street hawkers. This is set to change in the next few months, as the civic body has launched a drive to identify and beautify these spaces.

The first three flyovers in the pipeline are the Gandhi Mandapam flyover, G K Moopanar flyover and Pantheon Road flyover.

Under the chief minsiter’s Singara Chennai project, the civic body is teaming up with Chennai metro rail and the state highways department to beautify these idle spaces with water fountains, flowering plants, art work and seating arrangements.

A joint inspection was also held on Thursday when the civic body finalized the Koyambedu junction for the next renovation project along with the CMRL. The work at Kathipara flyover is nearing completion.

Gagandeep Singh Bedi, corporation commissioner, said they review the beautification work every 15 days, and recently decided to redesign spaces under flyovers. The corporation alone won't be executing these projects, as metro rail, highways and other departments will also be involved in the process.

Four stretches maintained by CMRL— Koyambedu to Alandur, Tondiarpet to Wimco Nagar, Saidapet to Airport and Alandur to St Thomas Mount will be revamped. Fourteen flyover spaces by state highways department, including Vysarpadi flyover, are also on the revamp list. In total, there are 35 flyovers and about 150 bridges that will be revamped.

The civic body has already set up vertical gardens at the IIT-M flyover, but they now plan to add a small garden, water fountains and seating arrangements. It will be a place where people can hang out. These will be undertaken using CSR funds and some work will be taken up under capital expenditure, said an official.

FACELIFT: The civic body plans to add a small garden, water fountains and seating arrangements at the IIT-M flyover

One-shot Sputnik Light all set for rollout in Sept

One-shot Sputnik Light all set for rollout in Sept

Mumbai:13.08.2021

India’s immunisation plan against Covid-19 may get a shot in the arm soon with the rollout of Russian singledose vaccine Sputnik Light, which will be locally manufactured in September, reports Rupali Mukherjee.

Panacea Biotec, which had earlier partnered Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), has submitted the dossier for seeking emergency-use authorisation to India’s drug regulator recently, sources told TOI. The vaccine is expected to be priced around ₹750. Shortage in supply of the two-dose Sputnik V could be resolved as early as the month-end, with Dr Reddy’s, RDIF’s exclusive distribution partner for India, ramping up supplies, sources added.

Around 5L doses of imported Sputnik vax could be rolled out in India soon

The full rollout of the Sputnik V vaccine was put on hold and is hence lagging, as its imports from Russia were impacted in June. Around five lakh doses of Sputnik V’s component 2 vaccine, which have been imported, could be rolled out in India soon.

“We are also working closely with our partners in India for manufacturing readiness. We expect that locally manufactured doses are likely to be available from the September-October period”, a Dr Reddy’s spokesperson said.

Sputnik Light, developed by Russia’s Gamaleya Institute and backed by RDIF, received emergency use authorisation in Russia in May. It is perceived by experts as more ‘suitable’, given the task of vaccinating a large population even as a possible third wave looms. The Sputnik Light jab has demonstrated nearly 80% efficacy, according to analysed data taken 28 days after the injection was administered in a trial in Russia, an RDIF statement said.

Univs close 102 engineering courses as demand stays low

Univs close 102 engineering courses as demand stays low

Ragu.Raman@timesgroup.com

Chennai:13.08.2021

Following poor admissions in the past few years, 14 deemed universities in Tamil Nadu including top institutes have closed 102 engineering courses including 62 postgraduate courses from 2021-22, according to data released by All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE).

The discontinued courses vary from traditional engineering courses to highly specialised courses such as civil engineering, electrical and electronics engineering, electronics and instrumentation, power electronics, automobile engineering, nano science and technology and VLSI design and architecture among others.

Around 50 engineering colleges closed 97 engineering courses in Tamil Nadu including 17 colleges which have closed civil engineering course this year, the data showed. As many as four engineering colleges including three in Coimbatore region have got the permission for progressive closure from the technical council from 2021-22. An official from the deemed university which closed postgraduate and undergraduate courses said the main reason for closure of courses was poor enrolment in the past few years.

"The simple reason for closing postgraduate courses is they have no takers. AICTE software is calculating the faculty ratio for all approved courses and showing deficiency for the course which is not offered due to no enrolment. To avoid faculty deficiency, the institutes have closed many postgraduate courses," said S Vaidyasubramaniam, vicechancellor of SASTRA.

Several institutes have closed the part-time degree programmes.

R W Alexander Jesudasan, pro-vice-chancellor, Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science in Chennai, said, the deemed universities will try to revive some of these courses with different course curriculum which will appeal to students and with different nomenclature.

"Higher education system is evolving one. There will be some programmes which will lose their importance and charm and other programmes will gain prominence. The deemed universities and autonomous colleges have freedom to close and introduce new courses depending upon the number of admissions," he added.

MKU to HC: Acting on job panel’s advice

MKU to HC: Acting on job panel’s advice

Madurai:13.08.2021

Madurai Kamaraj University (MKU) on Thursday informed the Madras high court that it was acting on the recommendations of the highlevel committee, which was constituted to probe the irregularities in the appointments of teaching and non-teaching faculty made in 2017-18 without following UGC norms. The university also informed the court that the reports of the selection and scrutiny committees would be placed before the syndicate of the university for a decision to be taken with regard to these appointments. Taking cognizance of the submissions, a division bench of justices M Duraiswamy and K Murali Shankar directed MKU to submit the reports before the court. The judges also sought the decision of the syndicate to be placed before the court. TNN