A 67-year-old R. Palaniammal of Samayapuram had to wait on a platform for more than half an hour at Chathiram bus stand for the arrival of her relatives to catch a Samayapuram-bound bus a few days ago. She went around the bus stand apparently to find a chair or a bench so as to relax herself till the arrival of her relatives. But, she could not find anything. Following this, she simply sat on a platform despite knowing well that her dress would get dirty.
“Persons like me cannot stand for long due to ageing. There is absolutely no chair or bench in the bus stand to sit. We have to sit on the floor of platform,” Ms. Palaniammal rues.
She was not the lone passenger, who was affected by the absence passenger amenities. Hundreds of passengers, who wait at the Chathiram bus stand to catch buses to their respective destinations, also suffer.
Located in a busy place, the Chathiram bus stand is being used by hundreds of commuters every day. Since it is surrounded by various educational institutions, a large number of school and college students arrive at the bus stand to go to their respective institutions and returning to their hometowns.
Passengers bound for Ariyalur, Perambalur, Jayamkondam, Musiri, Thottiam, Kattuputhur, Lalgudi, Pullambadi and other destinations in the northern and eastern parts of Tiruchi use the bus stand in large numbers.
Similarly, it serves as a boarding point for north and west bound buses belonging to various State and private buses. There are six platforms at the Chathiram bus stand, which came into existence in the late 70s. They have been earmarked for parking buses bound for various city and neighbouring destinations, including Kallanai, Thuvakudi, OFT, Keeranur, Tiruchi junction, Tiruchi Airport, Samayapuram, Mannachanallur and others. It handles about 50,000 passengers daily. Though there is a noticeable improvement in the systematic operation of buses from the platforms, commuters say that the bus stand lacks many basic amenities, particularly passenger waiting halls, waiting rooms with seating arrangements.
The toilets and bathrooms are not up to the ratio of passengers. They say that the Tiruchi Corporation, which is manning the bus stand, has failed to provide sufficient basic facilities.
“Bus shelters with seating arrangements are badly in need. It is surprising that the local body concerned and the State transport department have failed to create the needed facilities in spite of operating the bus terminus for so many years,” says S. Selvakumar of Thathaiyangarpettai.
