Lack of bus stops, shelters in Perungalathur rankles commuters

CHENNAI: Rain or shine, bus commuters on the entire GST Raod stretch (from Perungalathur to Guduvanchery) find no relief, as the State-run Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) has not provided bus stops or shelters for the commuters.

Bus commuters in Perungalathur, Vandalur, Urapakkam and Guduvanchery literally run around when a bus arrives, as the MTC drivers stop in places that are comfortable for them.

Commuters rued that it was a hassle to board the bus as they need to “run behind the vehicle without knowing where it would stop”.

Despite being one of the most important places in the suburbs and considered as the gateway to enter the city, Perungalathur town does not have a proper bus stop, and there were no adequate shelters. “Most of the time, the driver would stop the bus at a place comfortable to him. We would run to board the bus. During peak hours, the crowd of commuters waiting at a stopping would be big. So, drivers don’t even stop; they would just accelerate and ride on,” fumed S Gomathy, a resident of Vandalur.

Despite free bus ride announced by the State government, women lamented that the pink bus would never stop in Perungalathur. “Most of the time, it would stop at the end of the flyover and start within a few seconds. This is very stressful in the morning, and also dangerous to those who are the process of boarding the bus,” said Sherlin, a regular commuter and resident of Perungalathur.

Residents of neighbouring areas like Vandalur, Urapakkam, Guduvanchery and Potheri are also facing similar situations. “The transport department should look into the issue and take action against drivers and conductors who skip stops, and not stop the vehicles at the designated place,” stated Sherlin.

Every day thousands of people visit the Arignar Anna Zoological Park in Vandalur but the zoo does not have a proper stop for boarding the bus towards the city. Visitors new to the zoo would be helpless as it’s one of the well-known tourist spots without a designated bus stop.

“Electoral representatives promised us that a bus stop would be constructed in our village but even after many requests no steps have been taken in this regard,” one of the commuters fumed.

When contacted, a senior official in the Tambaram Corporation said: “Bus stop in Perungalathur was not constructed due to ongoing flyover work. When that’s over, a bus stop will be built with permission from the Highways department.”

An official from MTC added: “We’ll look into the issue and see to the possibilities of constructing a bus stop there.”