Despite good bus connectivity, overloading of passengers rampant in rural parts

People see only the cost factor and fail to take into account the risk factors involved in such travel on highways, say social activists demanding a mechanism to curb 

the menace. 

A number of lorries and mini-vans packed with persons are spotted on the highways between Chennai-Tiruchy- Madurai, Tiruchy- Karur, Tiruchy-Dindugul and Tiruchy-Thanjavur. Officials turn a blind eye to this blatant violation. This allows a free run to such hitch-hiking. 

On August 12, 2016, 10 persons died on the Tiruchy-Manapparai Highway while the mini load van carried around 60 persons to a temple festival. On September 26, as many as 15 persons out of the 22 who travelled in a commercial vehicle from Jayamkondam died on their way to a condolence meeting. The number of accidents involving such vehicles in the past two months made the police to take action against such violations, but it too fretted out in a few days. 

Not only groups going to temple festivals and private functions hitch-hike, construction workers too use this mode frequently to go to work places. 

“About 90 of us are picked up and dropped in a mini-van every day from Melur for construction work. It is difficult to travel like this but we have no other option,” said a woman construction labourer. A shopkeeper near Chathiram bus terminus said that people getting dropped by the commercial vehicles is common and specially during the wee hours, though there is good bus connectivity to the surrounding areas. 

R Rajarathinam, a minivan driver, said “mostly people from the villages prefer the mini-van or lorries for travelling as the cost is very less and they can use it as a private transport, and we drivers do not have a say in it. Mini lorries are most commonly used for transporting people than the heavy lorries as the mileage is better and the owners can make nice profit.” 

However, K Selvaraj, a social activist, said that the police should act swiftly to curb the offence. “Surprisingly, every day, the construction workers are being picked up and dropped in Palakkarai in Tiruchy where the Deputy Commissioner of Traffic office is situated. Why can’t they prevent these kind of overloading of people,” he asked. Meanwhile, a police official from City Crime and Traffic requesting anonymity said, “We are taking efforts to stop this menace, regular surprise checks are being conducted and when we find anyone violating, we fine them. But there are few offenders escaping from our (police) net.”