Every city that grows and pulsates cannot do so without expanding and building robust transportation networks. Madras-that-became-Chennai is no exception. As the city grew, so did its transit systems and as the habitable land expanded, its road network sneaked out, shooting out from the centre like a fast-growing hydra; as its people moved out to the peripheries, the snaking lines went further.
The delightful cacophony of old steam engines and rickety trams co-existed with the neighing horse-drawn jatkas, or the screech of the breaking cycle rickshaw. Madras has always felt at ease trying new moves, literally excited to try the new ‘flying train’ or MRTS, or slipping into the unparalled , though slightly expensive comfort of the metro.
