Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami made an announcement that the State would soon get bus ports, which would have facilities similar to those available in airports, in Madurai, Salem and Coimbatore.
Following the announcement, preliminary work was initiated, albeit slowly, to identify possible locations for the facility in these places. While people in general have welcomed the announcement, questions such as ‘Should huge investments be made for bus ports when the State’s existing public transport system is in dire need of infrastructure boost?’ have also been raised.
Apart from stating that the bus ports would have modern facilities, the Chief Minister, in his announcement, did not elaborate on them. According to officials, the bus ports are nothing but bus terminals with modern facilities such as air-conditioned waiting halls, food courts, shopping areas, free Internet connectivity, play area for children, live display of arrival and departure timings, escalators and differently abled-friendly measures.
The initiative came from the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MRTH), which partially funds the construction, to set up bus ports across the country. One such facility in Vadodara in Gujarat even houses a multiplex.
In Madurai, the district administration has identified five places - K. Pudupatti and Karadikkal near Tirumangalam; Melakuyilkudi near Nagamalai Pudukkottai, the area behind MGR bus stand in Mattuthavani, and Ambalakkaranpatti near Melur – and all the sites have government land, thus eliminating the hassle of land acquisition.
Officials say that one of the two locations near Tirumangalam is likely to be finalised since the sites are not only closer to the highways connecting southern districts, but also near the site identified for All India Institute of Medical Sciences and have enough land required for construction.
Commenting on the proposal, a senior trade unionist from Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation, speaking on anonymity, said the idea must not be to have a ‘fancy’ bus terminal in Madurai, but to really see if it could actually complement the public transport system. “A case in point is the new bus stand constructed in Virudhunagar, which is seldom used,” he said.
Pointing out that the city already had three terminals - at Mattuthavani (catering to south, north and east-bound mofussil buses), Arapalayam (for west and northwest-bound buses) and Periyar and Shopping Complex bus stands (for city buses), he said passengers already faced connectivity issues between these bus stands.
“For instance, passengers coming to MGR bus stand at Mattuthavani and wanting to go to Coimbatore or Theni find it cumbersome to reach Arapalayam in the middle of the night,” he said. “In that case, a bus terminal near Tirumangalam or Melur, several km away from the city, should not become a nightmare for people,” he added.
G. Rajendiran, Madurai zone vice-president of Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), TNSTC wing, questioned the need for setting up a bus port when the existing bus terminals, depots and buses were in dire need of better infrastructure. “There are 16 depots for TNSTC-Madurai. None of them has proper drinking water and toilet facilities or adequate space for drivers and conductors to take rest. The condition of buses and bus terminals is also similar,” he said.
Stating that the TNSTC catered to poorer sections of the people, who were greatly affected by the recent increase in bus fare, he said bus ports would be a needless show of opulence. “If they are setting up high-end cafeterias and food courts inside bus ports, how can a common man who finds it difficult to afford his ticket itself will utilise them?” he wondered, adding that it would not be a surprise if the bus ports became an outing spot for those who could afford instead of improving public transport.
Welcoming the idea, S. Rethinavelu, senior president, Tamil Nadu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said it must be implemented with futuristic needs of Madurai in mind. “It must not be like a fashionable place at one end of the city that only a small section of people can use,” he said.
Instead of investing in one huge bus port, it will be ideal if four or five modern bus terminals were developed on the outskirts of the city off major highways, he said. “Since Madurai city does not have wide roads, only mini buses must be used for intra-city connectivity,” he said. The bus ports must also have integrated and automated ticketing system.
Revenue Minister and Tirumangalam MLA R.B. Udhayakumar defended the proposal by stating that it was an achievement of Tamil Nadu government to obtain approval for bus ports in three cities. He said construction of modern bus ports would not hinder development of existing terminals. Drawing a parallel between bus ports and normal terminals with different classes of facilities provided in trains, the Minister said both models could coexist.
He said it would be unreasonable to not utilise the opportunity when the MRTH was willing to fund such projects. Saying the site for bus port would be finalised by the MRTH after a visit of officials, Mr. Udhayakumar expressed hope that the project work would begin soon.
