In a bid to decongest the busy junction near the entrance of the Town Bus Stand at Gandhipuram the city police have suggested making two more entries to the bus stand, on Dr. Nanjappa Road. The plan has been discussed by the police, Coimbatore Corporation, Transport Corporation and District Administrative officials and may soon become a reality.
There is hardly a day without traffic congestion at the Anna Statue Roundtana that connects Woman’s Polytechnic College Road, the Town Bus Stand, State Express Transport Corporation bus stand and V.K.K. Menon Road. A major cause of traffic congestion is the hundreds of buses waiting to enter the bus stand.
It is worse when buses from Sathy Road take the roundabout to enter the bus stand – with very less regard for smaller vehicles crossing the junction.
According to the city police, 535 town buses make 2,450 entries (and as many exits) from the bus stand every day. All these buses have only one entrance to the bus stand near Anna Statue Roundtana while there are three exits (two near the entrance and one at Dr. Nanjappa Road). It forces buses to stand in a long queue on the road, affecting traffic on all the roads connecting the junction.
“We suggested creating two more entries to the bus stand that are 40 feet wide on Dr. Nanjappa Road. This would reduce entry of around 1,550 trips at the existing entrance as they will use the entry points at Dr. Nanjappa Road,” Deputy Commissioner of the city police (Traffic) R. Sivakumar told The Hindu .
On doing so, as many as 168 buses that connect the bus stand with Singanallur, Somanur, Ramanathapuram and Maruthamalai that enter the bus stand about 600 times. Similarly 144 buses that connect Thudiyalur, Annur, Chinnavedampatti and Police Quarters that around 950 entries to the bus stand will be diverted through the new entrance on the Dr. Nanjappa Road.
Suggestion has also been made for separating the first rack in the bus stand from the other racks, to avoid entry of the diverted buses into the existing entrance. According to the suggested plan, the new entrances will help the buses from Mettupalayam Road and Sathy Road to avoid taking Anna Roundtana and head straight to the bus stand.
Mr. Sivakumar said that the traffic police have discussed the above said pattern with top officials in the District Administration, Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation and Coimbatore Corporation. “Two days ago the police and Coimbatore Corporation officials inspected the bus stand and discussed feasibility of the suggested alterations at the bus stand,” he said.
He said that they are waiting for a formal go from the corporation to demolish a portion of the bus stand’s wall at Dr. Nanjappa Road for making way for the two new entry points.
