Anna Main Road - a battle of wits

Now, here is the other side of the road leading to Ashok Pillar where autorickshaws, even dismembered ones, are parked as are mini vans, handcarts and all other sundry vehicles. There are encroachments in the form of men hawking wares, mechanics, key-and-lock makers, and smithies… you name them and they’re there.

As you can see, here too, a one-way road has been made two-way. Notice the dugout portion running down the centre. Some temporary patchwork has been done and this is how the road proceeds up to the ESI Hospital and beyond, as you can see in the second picture. Motorists are not quite sure which side to take but keep going as long as there is no vehicle coming from the other side. Far away, there is an MTC bus lumbering ahead and do you notice the autorickshaw and motorcycle right in front of it? A recipe for disaster if there was any.

See the quality of the road in the third picture. It’s dusty, uneven and strewn with gravel. Haven’t you heard of craters on the moon? Look at the last two pictures and you’ll know what I mean. If you are a regular on this stretch, you may need to get new tyres for your vehicle every six months.