Rumours over the health of Chief Minister Jayalalithaa left a large number of passengers and commuters stranded at the Central Bus Stand here on Monday evening.
The moment some Tamil news channels flashed the false news in the evening, most of the long distance and city buses of government- owned transport corporations, which were stationed at the Central Bus Stand, hurriedly returned to their respective depots. Similarly, several buses that reached the bus stand were driven back to their sheds after hurriedly dropping the passengers. Private buses too followed suit.
Except a few, autorickshaws also went off road within a few minutes. Within 10 to 15 minutes of the rumour, the sprawling bus stand looked deserted as most of the buses returned to their base, barring a few buses. Passengers, waiting to catch buses to go to various destinations, were caught unawares.
Several persons, including women and children, were seen busy making phone calls to their near and dear ones to inform the situation. “I am waiting for a bus for more than one hour to go to Dindigul. But no bus is available. I do not know what to do,” said N. Thilagavathi, who was on her way to Dindigul from Chennai. She alighted in Tiruchi to get a connecting bus.
K. Raju of Ponnamaravathi, who was waiting at the bus stand to accompany her daughter after her college declared holiday on Monday, said she had been waiting for a bus or autorickshaw at the Chathiram bus stand for about two hours. But no bus was plying.
Similarly, a large number of Sabarimala-bound devotees were also forced to alight midway in Tiruchi.
The confusion and chaos were palpable on almost all major commercial streets as shops and otehr commercial establishments downed shutter in a hurry. Several commuters were forced to walk home.
Students and commuters in rural areas were also hard hit following suspension of town route services to interior villages from the city.
Students from a private school in Tiruparaithurai along with passengers boarded a few goods vehicles for returning home.
A senior official of the TNSTC said that services were gradually resumed late in the evening.
