Monday, May 5, 2014

Cattle menace on Chennai –Bangalore Highway

Cattle menace on Chennai –Bangalore Highway

Cow on Chennai Bangalore highway
I am just back from Bangalore after traveling on road during the day time. I traveled by bus on May 3 2014 from Chennai to Bangalore and returned on May 5 2014. 
Normally, people travel to Bangalore from Chennai in night and have a hassle free journey. I traveled in the day to see the landscape but it turned to be day-mare. 

On both occasions of my journey, I discovered the cattle menace on Chennai –Bangalore highway. It was somewhere after Ambur and much before Housur, that there was an accident with the bus I traveled with the cattle (cow) that was crossing the road.

The lady herding the cattle was almost under the wheels, when alert driver saved her but could not stop from hitting the cattle. He had the Hobson choice either to take the bus in the fields and avoid cattle or save the woman and still be on the road.

Some distance further we had another close shave with the similar domesticated animals.  Thankfully we reached Bangalore without any further such incident.   

But on return I again had similar experience seeing the cattle crossing the road. However, there was more trouble in store. After some distance there was traffic halt jam one truck had hit the cattle’s resulting in its spot death. There was  another cattle that i saw seriously injured.

Passengers in the bus  put blame on the driver, road and the cattle. I think the driver was at no fault; it’s from somewhere the cattle appeared on the road, along with a lady chasing it.In such situation what the driver can do? 


How the road of a super fast highway can be blamed, where vehicles had to ply at certain speed. The road is in excellent conditions with many flyover still under construction. There are many bends in the way. There was ample sign for safe driving. 

However, the cattle menace is the only grey spot in the Chennai-Bangalore highway. It is high time that authorities should take action against those rearing cattle by the road side. It is simply impossible to stop the cattle’s meandering on the highway. No honking has any effect on them. 

In the public interest the media should report the story of cattle menace at Chennai-Bangalore highway. Such thing should not be allowed flourish as it is day mare for the commuters who drive on Chennai- Bangalore highway.