3 days later, wall razed at Kilambakkam terminus

CHENNAI: Three days after the inauguration of the Kalaignar Centenary Bus Terminus at Kilambakkam, Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) demolished a portion of the wall between the MTC terminus and outstation terminus following complaints from passengers over difficulty in access. Though a mini-subway with escalators and lifts allowed access between the two termini, passengers, especially the elderly and physically challenged, found it difficult to access it with luggage.

With a portion of the wall now pulled down, the passenger can enter and exit the MTC terminus without the hassle of passing through the “mini subway” through the stairs to be constructed.

Saraswathi, a resident of Ambattur who arrived at Kilambakkam to board a Madurai bus said passengers have to walk a long distance from the MTC bus stop to the new terminus. “Without the wall, people would find it much easier to enter and exit the terminus,” she said.

K Arumugham, another passenger from Salem said the government should construct a pedestrian subway or footover bridge to cross the GST road. “To the Vandalur railway station, located near the Kilambakkam terminus, the auto-rickshaw drivers are demanding Rs 150, citing no u-turn. If we can cross the GST road, we will be able to book an auto or cab from there,” he said.

A senior CMDA official said a portion of the wall was demolished after the initial response from the passengers. “We have access through the pathway using a lift and escalator which goes into MTC. Initial two days, we found the passengers were finding it difficult to walk up to escalators. It is only 350 metres (from the outstation terminus), but passengers complain,” the official said.

The official said they have five battery-operated cars to ferry passengers between the two terminus. “We have luggage trolleys too,” he said, adding there was a plan to build stairs even before the inauguration. “With the inauguration approaching, we thought to do it as and when the need arose. We will construct stairs, as there is a three-metre level difference, in 15 days,” the official added.