Nanganallur commuters seek feeder buses at Metro station

Commuters have appealed to Chennai Metro Rail Limited to introduce feeder services from the Nanganallur Road Metro Rail station.

They have also requested the Metropolitan Transport Corporation and the Transport Department to increase the frequency of route numbers S85 (Alandur Metro station — Velachery MRTS) and B51 (Saidapet —Tambaram East) and to introduce share autorickshaw services connecting Vanuvampet, Thillai Ganga Nagar, Ullagaram and Puzhuthivakkam.

Two Metro Rail services (Koyambedu to St.Thomas Mount and Little Mount to Chennai Airport) cover areas such as Little Mount, Alandur, Guindy, Meenambakkam, Ashok Nagar and Vadapalani. For residents of Thillai Ganga Nagar, Ullagaram and Puzhuthivakkam, who face the problem of bus services with poor frequency, the two Metro services are a boon.

However, lack of inter-modal integration of public transport systems in these areas has lead to considerable problems for commutters.

A. Raghavan, a long-time resident of Nanganallur, says, “I find it difficult to go to areas like Ambattur, Anna Nagar, Shenoy Nagar and Saligramam, from Nanganallur by MTC buses as doing so takes considerable time. Travelling by the Metro is more convenient. However, reaching the Metro station, located on Grand Southern Trunk Road, from Nanganallur is an ordeal. Because, route numbers B51 and S85, plying through the station, come only once in an hour. Unlike Alandur station, Nanganallur station is not connected by bus transport. Allowing share autorickshaw services to be operated to Vanuvampet, Thillai Ganga Nagar, Ullagaram, Puzhuthivakkam and other areas located on Southern Sector Inner Ring Road will be a boon to commuters.”

Several autorickshaw drivers take advantage of the situation and fleece commuters.

“In New Delhi, the Delhi Metro Rail Limited has introduced feeder buses that are a big boon to commuters, whose offices and residences are located along the six (red, yellow, blue, green, violet and orange) lines. If operated, the area to be covered by the CMRL feeder buses would be more than a radius of four kilometres,” B. Sridhar, a resident of Lakshmi Nagar, Nanganallur, says.

It is not easy for people to travel to the station from areas such as Vanuvampet, Thillai Ganga Nagar, Ullagaram and Puzhuthivakkam without a private mode of transport.

MTC officials have pointed out that they have not received any representations in this regard from commuters.

On receiving such representations, steps will be taken to increase the services of B51 and S85. CMRL officials say at present discussions are on for operating feeder services from stations. A decision in this regard has to be taken by the authorities, they add.