The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Tiruchi News : Crowded buses, order of daily travel What they say… City Pulse

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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Tiruchi

Crowded buses, order of daily travel What they say… City Pulse

Syed Muthahar Saqaf and M. Balaganessin

Peak hour congestion management plan is a must to sort out the problem: Passengers

— Photo: M. Moorthy

Inching in: Footboard travel by the school students with heavy schoolbags on their backs in Tiruchi city.

TIRUCHI: The proliferation of residential localities in the city as well as in its outskirts and the increase in the number of educational institutions have led to over congestion in the city buses, more particularly during the peak hours.

In certain areas the city bus services are quite inadequate and the over crowded buses stand testimony to this. This was despite the operation of mini-buses and share auto-rickshaws to such areas.

Though the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation has taken initiative to improve the fleet strength, by introducing vestibule, low-platform and even an air-conditioned city buses, there seems to be a mismatch between the number of buses and the passenger traffic.

No doubt, a large number of city buses are available at the Central Bus Stand – Chathiram Bus Stand – Srirangam sector; Chathiram – BHEL – Thuvakudi; Chathiram Bus Stand – Samayapuram route. High density of buses on these segments often leads to neck and neck race among the crew.

However, there are equally large number of unserved or little served areas. Ironically, higher educational institutions including the Bharathidasan University, Anna University, Tiruchi, are located in these little served areas.

It is a common sight that in the absence of adequate bus services between Central Bus Stand and the Bharathidasan University, the Pudukottai bound mofussil buses are ever over crowded in the peak hours.

Many attribute the congestion to the uniform working hours in vogue at all the educational institutions, often leading to simultaneous demand for bus services by large number of students.

Even the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation Union has pleaded for the introduction of different working hours for the schools and colleges so as to reduce the congestion at peak hours.

Though all private colleges own and operate a number of services from different parts of the district for the benefit of their students and staff, many students prefer to refrain from availing themselves of this service due to exorbitant tariff, thus leading to overcrowding in the city buses.

The transport corporation should chalk out a plan for peak hour congestion management, observed a former tahsildar K. Venkataramanan. “The best thing the TNSTC could do is to introduce more vestibule buses to the areas where there is heavy demand. The introduction of the vestibule services from Central Bus Stand to Keeranur and Thuvakudi has considerably reduced the overcrowding in the buses in these sectors. The Transport Department should direct the private fleet operators too to introduce vestibule services in the city routes,’ he says.

At present, corporation owned city buses alone cater to the needs of the students under the free bus pass scheme. A feasible strategy for the participation to the extent possible by private fleet owners for the transit of students should be worked out.

They could either accept the free passes or introduce certain concessions to students.

A survey should be taken for the identification of seriously congested pockets and an action plan should be introduced for the operation of more share auto-rickshaws and mini-buses.

Many complain that non-introduction of additional services in the high density sectors caused congestion and allied problems.

Mere replacement of old buses would not be sufficient. Simultaneous action should be taken for increasing the number.

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