Citizen Connect: Lack of basic facilities forces commuters to demand new bus stand at Uthiramerur

Uthiramerur town panchayat in Kancheepuram has 18 wards with a population of more than 10,000 people. There are buses to Chennai, Vandavasi, Tiruvallur, Tambaram, and Chengalpattu being operated from the suburb.

Residents, seeking a new bus stand, complained that the existing bus stand is being maintained poorly. They said many use the facility as a urinal and it is impossible to wait inside the shelter due to the unbearable stench of urine.

Even as the bus shelter remains crowded from morning till night, commuters claimed that there are proper seating arrangements and the restrooms are maintained poorly, forcing them to urinate in the open.

“The restrooms are not maintained properly and a bad smell always emanates from the bus stop. The people who are waiting for buses need to cover their nostrils,” said P Siva from Uthiramerur. Siva added that the stormwater drains passing through the bus stand also leaks frequently, causing water stagnation. “No action has been taken to rectify the issues even though we have made several complaints,” he said.

“I need to travel to the city from Uthiramerur every day to reach my office and it is uneasy to use this bus stop. Yet, I have no choice,” said Kumari, another commuter from the same area.

Residents claimed that the town panchayat has no permanent Executive Officer for the past year and it is also a reason for their concern. As of now, the Perungulathur EO has taken additional charge of Uthiramerur.

When contacted, Uthiramerur Sanitary Inspector R Raghupathi said, “As there is no permanent EO, we cannot implement new schemes. We have plans to repair the bus stand for Rs 10 lakh and the works will start soon.”

The commuters argued that the bus stop does not have proper seating arrangements, which forces elderly passengers to stand until buses arrive. They also complained that the bus shelter does not have sufficient lighting and it is rife with anti-social activities after dark.