Sans connectivity, alternative transportation to the rescue

The poor connectivity to Anna bus terminus in Kundrathur is the primary reason of concern for residents of 40 villages in the area, who are dependent on this facility.

“To enhance the connectivity with the introduction of more bus services along this route is a long pending demand of commuters. Further, we want the MTC to operate more buses to various parts of the city, including Tambaram, Guindy, Anna Salai and Broadway,” said S Swetha, a resident of Kundrathur.

The terminus draws a good number of commuters from Kundrathur and it neighbouring villages, including Akkambakkam, Moorasavakkam, Ariyaperumbakkam, Thamal, Ayyanarkulam, Arsur, Kalakattur, Kamarajapuram, Keelapi and Kooram. Currently, the terminus operates 66 buses with 480 trips every day to places like Broadway, Tambaram, Vadapalani, Adyar, Somangalam and Porur.

“This is the only facility which is available near us. Due to lack of connectivity, many are dependent on share autos for daily transportation. We take share autos to reach Kundrathur and board buses from there to reach the central parts of the city and other areas for work,” lamented B Varun, a commuter.

The bus terminus was renovated in 2004 and it can accommodate 35 buses at a time. Still, commuters complain that buses are jam-packed at any time of the day. So, many commuters head to the Iyappanthangal or Poonamallee bus terminus instead.

“We travel much farther to board buses though Kundrathur terminus is the nearest to us,” said Gauthami, another commuter.

The other problems at the facility include illegal parking of vehicles, bad maintenance of toilets, lack of provisions for drinking water and poor sanitation.

“A chunk of space is being taken away by four-wheelers and two-wheelers parked inside the terminus. Bus drivers are finding it difficult to pick or drop commuters on the conjested road. Therefore, they halt the buses in front of the facility, causing a huge inconvenience to the passengers. We have to run to catch buses,” said another commuter.

“There is no drinking water at this facility. We have to purchase water from retail shops to quench our thirst. Similarly, poor maintenance of public toilet forces the public to relieve in the open space. Further, it is not safe for women to travel in the evening,” he added.

A MTC official said that they are planning to increase the number of services soon. “We are monitoring the routes based on patronage to cater to the demands of the public. Also, all the buses terminating at Iyappanthangal and Poonamallee are instructed to halt at Kundrathur bus terminus, too, to benefit the public. Regarding traffic management, we have sought the help of the police and civic body to find a solution,” he added.