TIRUCHI
Commuters travelling between Karur and Tiruchi Central Bus Stand suffer as moffusil buses skip Chathram bus tand, forcing them to alight at the Karur Bypass Road-Tiruchi-Karur Highway intersection and walk to the bus terminus.
Buses stopping in a haphazard manner, crowded roads, the lack of a bus shelter coupled with the recent rains add to their woes. While a temporary halt for mofussil buses was set up for buses plying from Tiruchi to Karur at the descent of the Karur Bypass Road overbridge after the Chathram bus stand was closed for the redevelopment project, no provision has been made for the bus halt on the other direction. Passengers alight in front of a marriage hall after which the bus takes a right towards the Karur-Bypass Road to reach Central bus stand via Anna Nagar Link Road.
Passengers who alight near the intersection must walk to the Chathram bus stand to get on another bus to their destination. "I travel from Karur to Tiruchi for work every morning. Over the last few days, I reach my office drenched as I have to walk till Chathram bus stand and take another bus. The walk is along a highway, which is risky," said Krishnaveni, a regular commuter.
Another traveller, with a baby in hand did not even have an umbrella and had to take shelter at the community hall, where a wedding celebration was ongoing.
"My husband said he would pick us up from here. There is no place to take shelter from the rain," the woman rued.
M. Sekaran, Chairman, Citizen's Forum said that the civic body must take urgent steps to set up a bus shelter for citizens. "This has been a long standing demand by travellers. Women, children and senior citizens struggle to cross the crowded roads, especially in the pouring rain. The civic body must act swiftly," he said.
