Madurai Reader’s Mail

Of late, street hawkers in residential areas have taken to selling their wares using loudspeakers played at full blast. The deafening noise is enough to pierce one’s eardrums.Onions, tomatoes, potatoes, garlic, ginger, fruits, mats and even old newspapers, plastics and saris - almost everything on three-wheelers are now sold with blaring speakers.Only kolam powder seems to have escaped the list. Thankfully, women vendors have not yet joined this speaker fray. This non-stop cacophony throughout the day shatters the peace of residents, especially senior citizens and those working from home. Will the Madurai Municipal Corporation and the police rein in this menace by enforcing decibel limits and impose fines on violators so that the public can live in peace?Vaithianathan Subramanian,NarayanapuramMonitor traffic rule violatorsThe menace of traffic rule violators is increasing by the day in Madurai often causing accidents and bottlenecks for free movement of regulated traffic in the city.This is particularly witnessed in the roundabouts which have no traffic signals, where in the shareautos and two-wheelers drive recklessly in a dangerous manner causing accidents to people who are on the right pathway.The junction at the Vaigai river tank bund road at both ends of Kurivikaran Bridge, Aavin Junction, Apollo Junction is critical area which is very seriously affected.The problem is all the more severe during morning and evening office / school timings with additional movement of educational institutions’ vehicles plying on the roads.It is time that the traffic police personnel monitor the movement of traffic and book the rule violators with an instant fine. With the availability of technology, cameras can be used to spot offenders and fine challans raised. Repeated offenders’ vehicles must be seized and impounded so that they are aware of the consequences.Nicholas Francis,Bama NagarInadequate buses in suburban MaduraiThe frequency of town buses from suburbs like Thirumangalam, Melur, Thiruparankundram and Vadipatti to Madurai city is very inadequate, especially during the morning hours between 8.30 a.m. and 9.30 a.m.As a result, hundreds of students are forced to wait for a long time and reach their schools late.What aggravates the situation is the recent order of the Chief Educational Officer to close the school attendance register through EMIS portal strictly before 9.45 a.m. Though students reach the school campus by 9.50 or 10.00 a.m. due to reasons beyond their control, they are marked absent and lose their attendance for the day.This causes mental stress and affects their academic records.Therefore, I request authorities to increase the frequency of buses in the morning hours and to consider the genuine difficulties of students by granting a grace time of at least 15 minutes for attendance.Ramesh. K,Thirunagar. Published - November 01, 2026 08:13 pm IST