Students boarding buses from the renovated terminuses in West Mogappair and East Mogappair have to travel to the depot in Ambattur Industrial Estate on CTH Road to renew their bus passes.
The two terminuses don’t have enough counters to issue the passes. According to MTC sources, red tape and official apathy are the reasons for the delay in setting up counters at these facilities.
However, commuters said the renovated terminuses at East Mogappair and West Mogappair had most of the basic facilities and enough space for additional counters.
“A small counter near the time office at these facilities would end the hardship faced by students who have to travel all the way to the Ambattur Industrial Estate terminus to get their free bus passes every month,” said Venketaramani, a commuter from J.J. Nagar.
In fact, a group of commuters led by him have met the branch manager at the Anna Nagar West depot, in-charge of the terminuses at East Mogappair and West Mogappair. They have requested the MTC authorities to have separate counters to issue free bus passes and also season passes for others at these two terminuses.
At present, such a facility is available at the Ambattur Industrial Estate and Anna Nagar West bus depots. Students and other commuters have to go to these terminuses to get their passes.
After repeated meetings and requests, commuters were asked to send written requests to senior MTC officials at Pallavan House. Following this, commuters have been sending several requests to the MTC’s headquarters for months now. Local MTC officials too have forwarded the requests, which they received from the commuters, to their higher authorities from time to time.
Despite all these efforts, MTC officials at the Pallavan House have not responded. “MTC can at least convert a section of the existing time offices to issue bus passes if they establishment of new counters as an additional cost,” said V. Bhakiyam, a commuter from West Mogappair.
The terminus operates 21 buses daily to places such as Thiruvanmiyur, T. Nagar, Parry’s Corner and Anna Salai with more than 5,000 commuters use the facility every day. The bus terminus at West Mogappair was renovated last year.
“We will look into the issue and take necessary steps to have counters to issue bus passes from these terminuses,” said an MTC official.
