Vital roads are yet to be linked to the Ambattur railway station subway

Residential colonies near Ambattur railway station face safety risks due to lack of subway access, prompting demands for change.

There are many residential colonies on both sides of the Ambattur railway station. Besides hundreds of commuters, residents of these colonies use the level crossing gate no. 6. Southern Railway and the State Highways Department have constructed a subway to replace the level crossing. But the Chennai-Thiruvallur High Road and K.K. Road have not been linked to the subway yet. This means the commuters still use the level crossing, risking their lives. The Chennai-Thiruvallur High Road has several shops and vegetable markets that cause traffic jams. There have been incidents of commuters having been knocked down by the trains while crossing the tracks. The roads have several schools, and the students and their parents find it difficult to access the subway. Residents want the Highways Department to connect the two roads with the subway at the earliest.

T. Gunaseelan, Ambattur.

A senior official of Southern Railway says the work on linking both sides of the subway will begin soon and it will be completed in 15 months.

The Tambaram Corporation has demanded ₹10,000 for the transfer of the title of a property acquired recently. It appears that the charges are based on the registered value of the property. The fee amounts to seeking a ‘fair’ share of the purchase price. For a mere name transfer, this amount is exorbitant. Even the Greater Chennai Corporation does not charge any fee for the name transfer. The Tambaram Corporation should revise its measures to earn revenue.

V.S. Jayaraman, Chromepet.

(Readers can write to this column at readersmailchennai @thehindu.co.in)