Close to two years after the first service of the Chennai Metro Rail opened amid much cheer and expectations, it is struggling to find enough commuters.
Apart from high fares, the lack of connectivity to other modes of transport is a factor that has affected patronage. Barring Ashok Nagar and CMBT Metro Rail stations, the frequency of mini buses to other stations is quite poor, say commuters.
According to RTI data provided by CMRL, in some stations including Arumbakkam and Ekkatuthangal, there are no mini buses at all. It is to be noted that these two stations have the lowest number of people travelling through it.
S. Krishnaraj, a 60-year-old resident of Nanganallur, says he has to walk for 15 minutes to reach the nearest station and that tires him out in the heat. “If they have a mini bus every 15-20 minutes, then I can easily take that. Otherwise, I have to spend for an auto and then, the Metro, which works out to be very expensive,” he says.
More buses likely
However, officials of Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) mini buses are available from many stations and they plan to add more soon. “We are holding discussions with authorities of the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) for the same,” an official says.
Most stations have bus stops at a walkable distances, but services from there only take commuters to arterial roads and don’t ply through the interior roads. But a mass rapid transit system should have facilities to allow commuters to travel from origin to destination with ease, say commuters.
Says K. Kalyanaraman, a resident of Adambakkam, “There is a mini bus that plies from Alandur Metro Rail station, but I have to wait for at least half an hour to board it to reach my residence. Shouldn’t there be a bus every 10-15 minutes?”
Urban planning experts say the timing of mini buses should be synced with that of Metro trains.
N.S. Srinivasan, former director of National Transportation Planning and Research Centre, says, “A survey should be done to assess the demand and mini bus services should be introduced accordingly.”
“Commuters should be assured of a mini bus every 15 minutes. Unless they know they can reach their destination at a given time, why will they opt for the Metro? They should also implement the common ticketing system soon,” he notes.
“The Chennai Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (CUMTA) is a good platform for various agencies to work together in order to resolve the coordination issues,” says Advait Jani of the Institute of Transportation and Development Policy.
“Most passengers who use the Metro are pedestrians. If there are no walkable footpath, a lot fewer people will use the system,” he adds.
