For close to a decade, a small dusty wooden desk is shared by two men for two different jobs at the police booth in Vinayagapuram, Kolathur on Kolathur Main Road, near Retteri junction. While one is a police beat constable who takes down details provided by patrol team, the other is an MTC time-keeper who keeps records of the entry and exit of buses.
Both the MTC and the police have been functioning from the same premises for 10 years now. They not only share the same desk but also the spacious open area to park vehicles — police patrol jeep and MTC buses that are operated on only two routes. The police booth was inaugurated in 2008.
At present, commuters from adjoining areas including Rajaji Street, Ganesh Nagar, Old Lakshmipuram, Puthagaram, Thirumal Nagar, Bala Vinayagar Koil Street, Sri Kumaran Nagar, SBOA Teachers Nagar, Secretariat Colony, Saraswathy Nagar, Ayyapa Nagar and Ganapathy Nagar board buses from the terminus.
“The presence of a police booth makes us feel safe while boarding buses from the terminus especially at night. However, a permanent bus terminus with better facilities is needed,” says K. Suganya, a commuter from Kolathur.
MTC operates only two routes — 142 (Vinayagapuram to Perambur) and 29 Extension (Vinayagapuramto Mandaveli) — between 5 a.m. and 7 p.m on all days. Commuters have to travel to Red Hills or Perambur bus terminus to travel to the rest of the city including places such as Broadway, Guindy, Tambaram, Adyar and Porur.
As the nearest railway stations —Villivakkam and Perambur Loco Works — are far away from the neighbourhood, most of the commuters prefer to board buses from the police booth premises at least to reach the Retteri junction from where they travel to the rest of the city.
In fact, many young commuters come by bicycles to the terminus and park their cycles at the police booth premises before boarding buses. The presence of police personnel round-the-clock at the booth also ensures the safety of their cycles. Although both the departments have been co-existing, they have been looking for a facelift to the facility.
The space, which belongs to the Corporation, gets inundated during monsoon making it difficult for them to board buses.
Further, overgrown bushes inside the premises draw reptiles, scaring commuters.
The open facility also lacks lighting facilities. The terminus does not have bus timing boards, seats and shelter for commuters.
MTC staff and police personnel have to share a small common room that acts as a police booth and time-keeper's office.
“Steps will be taken to have a permanent bus terminus in the neighbourhood soon,” says an MTC official.
