RAMANATHAPURAM
A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared open the newly-laid Dhanushkodi Road, Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) launched its maiden bus service to the town, desolated after the 1964 cyclonic storm.
After the 9.5-km-long stretch from Mukuntharayar Chathiram to Arichamunai, the eastern tip of the Rameswaram island, was thrown open to traffic, the transport corporation launched the bus service from Rameswaram temple to Arichamunai on a trial basis on Friday.
Presently, the corporation was operating bus service (Route No. 3) up to Mukuntharayar Chathiram and it has been extended up to Arichamunai, TASTC sources said.
“We proposed to operate 22 singles up and down a day with two buses and expand the service after studying the patronage pattern,” the sources said. The corporation charged ₹19 from the temple to Arichamunai and during the trial run, the buses were operated to their full capacity, the sources added.
As private SUV and van drivers charged ₹100 per trip from Mukuntharayar Chathiram to Dhanushkodi, a lot of pilgrims and tourists turned to the bus service. The TNSTC would operate the trial service for a week, before writing to the authorities and introducing a fullfledged service, the sources said.
National Highways had laid the road in two phases from Mukuntharayar Chathiram to Dhanushkodi and from there to Arichamunai at a total cost of ₹70 crore with two bus bays in the stretch.
Minutes after Mr. Modi opened the road through videoconferencing, while addressing a public meeting at Mandapam on Thursday afternoon, the road became busy.
