The second entry leading to Tiruchi railway junction continues to present an isolated look with no movement of city buses.
This has been the state notwithstanding a joint inspection conducted by top officials of the City Police, Railways and Railway Protection Force a few months ago followed by a meeting. No solution seems to have been found with respect to the second entry with city buses continuing to skip the stretch laid by the railways investing lakhs of rupees.
The road, stretching nearly half-a-km, to the Tiruchi Junction was laid with the objective to ease congestion at the Junction roundabout. City buses coming from Chathram bus stand used to take a left turn to enter the second entry while heading towards the central bus stand.
After dropping passengers at the end of the stretch, the buses used to take a ‘U’ turn to enter Bharathiar Salai again before proceeding to the central bus stand.
Although this system was in vogue for some time, the arrangement came to end gradually.
City buses bound for central bus stand – both government and private - continue to skip the second entry and take the route via station approach road near the Junction roundabout.
The road which has suffered damage presents a deserted look. The rule for city buses to take the stretch is no longer being enforced strictly.
A few months ago, top officials of the City Police, Railways and RPF jointly inspected the road in a bid to arrive at a solution.
However, no concrete solution was arrived at, which is evident from the fact that buses continue to skip the stretch. The suggestion that buses taking the stretch could go straight to pass in front of the main entrance of the station instead of taking a ‘U’ turn so as to reach the exit near the Junction roundabout does not seem to have been accepted.
It is felt that it may only lead to congestion at the station entrance besides posing hazard to passengers coming out or proceeding towards the station.
A senior railway official said buses proceeding straight would only add to congestion instead of easing it besides causing accidents.
Police sources said they planned to meet the railway officials shortly to thrash out a solution.
