Barely three weeks after the introduction of bus bays at several places in city, they have become ineffective as drivers are not halting buses at these designated spaces.
If more than two buses arrive at the same time, it becomes a problem at the bays.
It was in the first week of April, the police introduced bus bays at 10 places in the city. The intention was to ensure that buses are parked without obstructing the traffic flow.
The arrangement has added to the existing traffic woes as drivers halt bus on the middle of the road.
Though police were posted at the bus bays for a few days to direct bus drivers of the new arrangement, they were later called off.
Drivers halt bus outside the bay when another bus is inside. They are forced to do so at places where the bus stop and bus bay fall immediately after a traffic signal. They halt bus on the middle of the road while in a hurry to keep up with the time chart, said a senior police officer.
On Mettupalayam road, drivers of city buses accuse crew of mofussil buses for halting buses inside the bay for a long time. Due to lack of space, they are forced to halt bus outside the bay and passengers alight or board bus on the middle of the road.
On Trichy Road at Singanallur, buses plying towards Ramanathapuram are stopped in front of Singanallur Police Station, shortly after the signal but around 50m before the bus stop where the bus bay has been created. After halting in front of the police station, buses leave the place without entering the bus bay.
Traders at Singanallur said that passengers rarely use the bus shelter as buses don’t halt there.
Halting buses shortly after the signal disrupts traffic. The issue can be solved by directing drivers to halt buses at the bus shelter itself. Now, half portion of the road used for creating bus bay is remaining unused, said a trader.
