Animal lovers protest against killer traffic

Speeding vehicles on an Ulsoor street have claimed the lives of five dogs and a cat since March

Reckless and rash driving on Aga Abbas Ali Road has led to the deaths of five stray dogs and a cat since March.

Ulsoor Canine Squad, an animal lovers’ group, is campaigning for a safer road. It held a demonstration on Aga Abbas Ali Road recently.

Yasmine Claire, who lives on the street, says the road had been one-way for years. “But it has now become a shortcut between MG Road and Fraser Town. It’s a narrow residential road with speeding traffic.”

By April, a month since the first lockdown, two dogs had been mowed down. “We put one-way signs but they didn’t help. Soon more animals were run over,” she says.

One of the injured community dogs, Cookie, was treated and is now back. Priya Chetty-Rajagopal, founder of CJ Memorial Trust, inspired the formation of the Ulsoor group. Such squads are hyperlocal and work for animal and human safety, she says.

CCTV cameras are important to assure animal and human safety. After the demonstration, the authorities have promised rumblers and reflective lights for the road, she told Metrolife.