A survey by the Citizen Consumer and Civic Action Group highlights several challenges with the MTC’s ‘Chennai Bus’ app, including freezing, inaccurate bus information, and GPS issues. Out of the 500 respondents surveyed, over 50% of MTC commuters have downloaded the app, only 7% actively use it.
Activists warn that waste-to-energy (WTE) plants, while seen as a solution to Chennai's waste crisis, may pose significant environmental and health risks. Concerns include the release of toxic gases and harmful byproducts, challenging the efficacy of WTE technology.
An article based on a survey by CAG which found that even though 88% of parents know that helmets save lives, 75% haven't purchased appropriate helmets for their children. The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act of 2019 mandates helmets for all children aged 4 and over, and the Central Motor Vehicles (Second Amendment) Rules, 2022 mandates crash helmets or bicycle helmets for children aged between 9 months and 4 years.
Using data from CAG's Fair Fares report, this article makes the point that progressive urban transport schemes such as the free bus scheme for women in Tamil Nadu have personal and societal benefits that work at different levels in different sections of the population.
As the Tambaram Corporation outsources waste management of waste generated by Bulk Waste Generators (BWG), Vamsi Shankar, Senior Researcher, CAG comments that the main consideration with any waste handling protocol is that it does not go on to harm the environment. Dry waste handling techniques that cause air pollution, he says, is a case in point.
Poor last mile connectivity, inadequate fleet strength, lack of safe pedestrian infrastructure and poor cyclists’ infrastructure are some of the reasons why Chennai ranks 15 among 40 cities in the Ease of Moving Index. Sumana Narayanan, senior researcher, CAG, comments that this will need various agencies and stakeholders working together to address these.
Released on February 20th, 2024, CAG's report, Fair Fares- towards gender inclusive public transport, analyses the impact of Tamil Nadu's free bus transport for women scheme.
'Clothes make a man', they say. But do we know what makes clothes these days? Madhuvanthi Rajkumar, researcher at CAG, explains the dangers of plastics in textiles and debunks the common misconception that all textile waste is biodegradable by nature.
As the Greater Chennai Corporation plans gender studies to make public places and public transport women-friendly, Sumana Narayanan, senior researcher at CAG comments that in addition to looking at physical infrastructure (lighting, bus stop locations), it would be useful to improve passenger information systems so women don't wait for long periods at bus stops especially during non-peak hours. There is also a lack of communication regarding existing safety measures such as how the installed panic buttons work.
The Metro Rail construction, along the OMR, has significantly disrupted movement of traffic on this major artery. Sumana, CAG, emphasises the need for a more robust public transport network along the road to ease the congestion. Will a BRTS network go towards solving some of these issues? We need data and feasibility studies to inform this further.