Velachery bus terminus in bad shape

Velachery bus terminus in bad shape

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:13.08.2021

The bus terminus at Velachery, frequented by thousands of commuters every day, lacks basic amenities and ongoing flyover work has worsened the waiting area too.

Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) operates buses along a dozen important routes from Velachery to other areas in the city like Ambattur (D70), Perambur (29N) and Thiruporur (568B). But the bus terminus is able to accommodate only four buses at a time. Therefore, passengers are forced to wait for buses under extreme heat or rain.

Some of them wait under treesa few yards away, and run when the buses reach the terminus. There are sign boards showing list of buses which are expected to arrive or depart from the terminus. The public address system too is defunct most of the times, complain regular MTC bus commuters.

Senior citizens and students, who arrive at the terminus, also don't have shelters while they wait in long queues to get concessional or free passes renewed. In the opposite side (towards Tambaram), the bus stand has been completely dismantled.

S Kumara Raja from the Federation of Velachery Welfare Association said that the ideal location to shift the bus terminus would be the Mass Rapid Transit System premises (located diagonally opposite to the existing terminus location) so that people getting down from the local train can easily board buses to their respective areas or vice-versa.

If the discussion between the Union and state governments is not fetching any results, MTC should start looking at other possibilities. There is a 1.75-acre vacant plot, which belongs to Dhandeeswarar temple, on Taramani Road. Right now, private omni buses are using this facility. MTC can pay or take this land for lease to construct a terminus, he added.

S Vignesh of Madipakkam said even the approach roads towards the terminus are lying battered for years and traffic congestion worsens every day during peak hours.

An MTC official in response said the highways department, which is constructing the flyover, has promised to finish it by December end and only then a decision can be taken whether to develop the terminus at the existing location or to shifting to a new location.