Commuters have appealed to the Southern Railway to construct a foot-over-bridge (FOB) at Tirusulam railway station connecting Tirusulam railway station road, as they are now forced to cross the railway tracks.
There is a subway that connects the four platforms on the station from the eastern and western side of the Grand Southern Trunk Road. Commuters have to walk, taking a detour, for more than a kilometre if they use the subway connecting the station and the Chennai International Airport premises.
The station road is unsafe to walk as the Tirusulam hills forest area adjoining the Station Road is notorious for harbouring anti-social elements.
Moreover, the road is ridden with potholes. Though street lights are installed properly, it is difficult for the pedestrians to cross the thoroughfare, as the distances between the lamp posts are huge. Commuters, returning home after 9 p.m., take a detour through GST Road, due to the fear of being mugged by anti-social elements in the forest area.
“We request that steps are taken to lay the road, install more street lamp posts and to deploy police personnel on the thoroughfare and construct a foot-over-bridge,” J. Balaji, a commuter, said. Commuters have also sought mini-bus services connecting the railway station, Airport bus stop and Pallavaram.
Commuters living on Periyar Nagar Main Road, Lakshmanan Nagar and Thanga Pillayar Koil Street, Thirusulam, are forced to walk nearly one-and-a-half to two kilometres to reach the airport bus stop or the railway station.
Senior citizens find it even more difficult because the roads leading to the residential houses are hilly stretches. People get tired before they reach the bus stop or the railway station.
“The auto drivers fleece the passengers by charging extra for a short-distance. Sometimes, they refuse to come when the ride involves a short distance.,” R. Sudhakar, a commuter said.
“If mini bus services from the railway gate or the subway on the GST Road are operated, people would benefit a lot. The Metropolitan Transport Corporation should introduce small buses to benefit commuters,” Sudhakar pointed out.
