The ‘no parking’ board outside the Elango Nagar bus terminus in Anna Nagar West Extension has brought much needed relief to both commuters and bus operators. Warning of strict action, the board, erected by the Chennai Corporation, directs nearby park users and those visiting the Amma Canteen to refrain from parking inside the terminus.
R. Sathyamurthi from Sakthi Nagar says the terminus is used by commuters from Elango Nagar, Murthy Nagar, Devar Nagar, Sakthi Nagar and Anna Nagar Western Extension. In the last couple of years, lot of construction activities have taken place around the terminus including the commissioning of Amma Canteen and a playground. The area receives so much crowd that buses find it difficult to take a ‘U’ turn to enter or leave the terminus.
He said the terminus was developed by erstwhile Ambattur Municipality using Local Area Development fund of North Chennai MP, C. Kuppuswami, in 1999-2000. Buses on routes M27E to Anna Square, M70D to Guindy, M141C to Thiruvanmiyur, D-70 Velachery and 7-H (cut) to Broadway operate from here.
Following the merger of Ambattur Municipality with the Chennai Corporation, the sign board indicating the Elango Nagar/Officers Colony Bus Terminus was removed. The passenger waiting room and toilet is also not serving its purpose. Some private contractors, park users and people coming to the canteen have been using the terminus as a parking lot. The commuters have appealed to the Chief Minister to instruct the Corporation authorities to provide a name board for the terminus, to construct a new passengers shelter and to allot areas in the TVS Colony Road, adjacent the Officers Colony Park and the road next to water tank as a parking place.
“On behalf of commuters, I thank the CM and the officials for their prompt action. I request park and canteen visitors to cooperate,” said S. Venkatesan, secretary, Elango Nagar Makkal Nala Mandram. He also requested the MTC to consider the demand for introducing a mini bus connecting Elango Nagar with Korattur via Devar Nagar, Kumaran Nagar, Thiruvallithayam (Padi Sivan Koil), Raja Street and Central Avenue.