The Hindu : Bus terminus adds to East Tambaram residents' woes

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Feb 21, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu-Chennai

Bus terminus adds to East Tambaram residents' woes

By P. Oppili

Chennai Feb 20. Parking of MTC buses and the presence of a row of shops on either side of the Camp Road near the east Tambaram railway gate have been creating problems for the road users.

The problem is mainly due to the terminus established by the MTC authorities. The MTC has taken over one-half of the road where its buses are parked. Due to the parking, the vehicles heading towards Medavakkam-Velachery-Saidapet are forced to use the other half of the road for both directions, violating the traffic rules and also endangering the lives of pedestrians.

The situation worsens during morning and evening peak hours. A visit to the place on Friday revealed that the authorities ought to shift immediately the bus terminus from the existing place and also to remove the encroachment on the stretch.

A resident in the nearby Ganapathipuram Colony, V.C.Vijayaraghavan, says the area has five schools where more than 10,000 children are studying. The drivers, while turning the vehicles, do not bother to look at those waiting at the bus stop. They do it with a scant regard for the commuters waiting to board the buses and also the vehicles heading towards Medavakkam.

Sometime ago, the residents requested the MTC officials to visit the place to understand the problems faced by the school students. Some of them even assured the MTC authorities that they could get the required space from the railways for parking the buses. However the suggestion has fell on deaf ears, they say.

While taking a `U' turn, the MTC buses not only affects the traffic but also the movement of trains. Whenever an MTC bus takes a turn, it invariably blocks the vehicular traffic. This creates commotion and the railway authorities are forced to wait till all the heavy vehicles crossed to the other side, to close the gate, say a local official of the railways.

When the gate is closed, transporting a sick person from this side to the GST Road is very difficult. Sometime ago, a resident from East Tambaram complained of chest pain. Attempts to take her to the hospital on GST Road proved futile, as the railway level crossing gate remained closed for long. Even before she was taken to the other side, she died, according to the residents.

Construction of a subway or a road-over bridge connecting the GST Road to the Camp Road will only solve the problem. The time has come for the local municipal authorities, railways and the State Government to take serious note of the problems faced by the public at the place. Otherwise, the place will become a "death trap", fear the residents.

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Bus terminus adds to East Tambaram residents' woes