The suburban Tiruverumbur town, which was recently merged with the city corporation, is a deserving case for establishment of a full-fledged bus stand, locals emphasise. The town, they apprehend, is on the verge of losing the privilege of having its own bus stand following the merger.
Earlier, the town panchayat had a bus stand functioning on one side of the median on Tiruchi-Thanjavur Highway.
But, after the National Highways Authority of India took possession of the space for making the road four-lane, just two bus stops have been created on either side of the highway.
Tiruverumbur town being the commercial hub for several surrounding villages and townships, including those at BHEL and Ordnance Factory, a bus stand is an absolute necessity , according to Somasundaram, a regular commuter.
Workers
Thousands of industrial workers belonging to Thanjavur and other delta districts use Tiruverumbur railway station every day, he pointed out. Confusion prevails when city and mofussil buses halt one behind the other at the stops.
The scramble among commuters to board the buses becomes too conspicuous to go unnoticed, particularly during peak hours.
If a bus stand is created, the bus stops could be used solely by mofussil buses moving towards or returning from Thanjavur, Thiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai, Kumbakonam and other important places, passengers say.
Adarsh status
Referring to the Adarsh status accorded to Tiruverumbur railway station by Railway Ministry as an acknowledgement of the importance of the town, Pushparaj, a BHEL resident, said the corporation should take cognisance of the town’s status as a taluk headquarters, and initiate prompt steps to establish a bus stand.
According to locals, the city corporation must seriously explore the scope for utilising the nearly two-acre space opposite to the industrial training institute, where, in fact, a bus stand once existed.
A bus stand at that spot will be of immense convenience. It will not only serve residents of BHEL and Ordnance Factory townships in an effective way, but also help in mitigating vehicular congestion in the area, a traffic policeman said.
