A few bus-shelters have been erected in parts of Velachery Main Road, including the stretch between Gowriwakkam and Madras Christian College. The list includes two each at Kamarajapuram and Gowriwakkam, one each at Medavakkam Koot Road and Medavakkam and another one near Christ King Convent bus stop. Animal Husbandry Minister T.K.M. Chinnaiya and South Chennai MP C. Rajendran contributed from their Local Area Develoment Fund to the project, says a source from Metropolitan Transport Corporation.
“A few years ago, the East Tambaram bus-stop was in a pathetic state. The new bus-shelter will be bring an immense relief to senior-citizens like me,” says Gnanaprakasam of Suddhananda Bharathiyar Street, East Tambaram.
The new facilities will shelter commuters from blazing sun and sharp showers. But the public still have something to complain about. Sign boards have not been installed. Drivers stop buses at will with the result that commuters wait along a length of 250 metres on Velachery Main Road. “At present, share autos occupy the sheltered portion of the road and MTC drivers have no other option but to stop the buses a few metres away,” says R. Badrinarayanan, a commuter from nearby Camp Road. As the buses stop in a haphazard manner, traffic hassles have become common. “An MTC official and a couple of policemen should be posted from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. to regulate the buses,” Mr. Badrinarayanan suggested.
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Despite parking of buses on Velachery Main Road, for want of space at West Tambaram, two-way traffic is maintained on the remaining portion of the road.