During monsoon, rows of concrete slabs meant for commuters waiting at the bus terminus in Anna Nagar West on the Jawaharlal Nehru (JN) Main Road remain near-empty. A few MTC staff can been seen resting here between their duty hours.
On the other hand, a small footpath in front of the terminus is packed with people. They brave the rain till their buses arrive from the terminus.
The reason people prefer getting drenched to waiting inside the terminus is the knee-deep stagnant water.
Every day, hundreds of commuters from several colonies in the neighbourhood including TVS Colony, Tamil Nadu housing quarters, Padi Kuppam and 12th Main Road board buses from the terminus. Over 100 bus services are operated from the terminus every day with over 30,000 commuters using the facility.
“Unlike other bus terminuses in West and East Mogappir, the terminus at Anna Nagar West is located on J.N Main Road and is on a link road to neighbourhoods such as Villivakkam, Padi, Tirumangalam and Koyambedu. Such strategic location makes the terminus very prominent,” said K. Prabhakaran, a resident of Anna Nagar.
However, for years, the terminus has remained a picture of neglect – both in terms of bus services and passengers’ amenities. The terminus does not have electronic timing boards for buses, routes and other details, water taps or toilets. Garbage, including empty pet bottles, can be seen strewn all over the terminus – an indication the facility is not cleaned on a regular basis.
With the lack of effective storm water drains to discharge excess rainwater from the terminus to a common channel, the terminus gets ‘submerged’ every monsoon.
Every year, MTC staff have to drain the stagnant water using motor pump sets. Raising the level of the terminus so that its matches that of the road can help.
“The problems at the terminus are known to everyone. We can only request our higher officials to renovate the facility soon,” said a MTC official.
