‘Only 8 bus routes from Anna Nagar West being operated’

At present only two bus routes – 7F (Broadway to Anna Nagar West) and 24A (Anna Nagar West to V House) –  are operated from the terminus. According to official sources, both the bus route run only four services each at present. In 2016, these two routes accounted for 12 services.

A regular commuter and resident of Tirumangalam, K Anbazhagan said, “Back in 1998, the buses were usually filled with passengers at the terminus itself. 

All the commuters from the nearby localities used to reach the terminus by walk, just to board buses to their destinations. Various bus routes were curtailed over the years after citing mounting losses.”

A resident of Anna Nagar, Raja Raman said, “These two services are plied in a very lethargic manner. The number of buses along these routes were reduced drastically. It was once a flourishing terminal but now it is in a pathetic condition.”

In the beginning, as many as 208 scheduled services were operated from this depot.

An official said, “The number of buses has been diverted to the nearest Koyambedu bus terminus in order to augment the revenue. The curtail of services is an ongoing service since the CMBT terminus was opened in 2002.”

An official attached to the MTC said, “These changes are being made after conducting a periodical survey for every six months. 

In the survey, the branch depot managers involve residents’ welfare associations to get a clear picture of the supply and demand. The existing bus services are diverted along the other routes where patronage is quite high.”