Commuters boarding MTC buses from West Tambaram terminus have requested the Tambaram municipality officials to clear encroachments from the designated halting point. Located on Grand Southern Trunk Road, the bus stop is busy throughout the day as a large number of commuters board buses from the bus stop to reach Adyar, Avadi, Mannivakkam, Manimangalam, Sriperumbudur, T. Nagar, Velachery and nearby areas.
The wide and spacious sheltered facility is used as an open toilet by a few commuters and passers-by. Moreover, motorcyclists fling trash covers on to the bus stop, making it a dumping ground. “A line of refreshment stalls has come up inside the bus stop.
As a result, commuters have no other option but to stand in the middle of the road for boarding buses,” says R. Sekaran, a resident of Krishna Nagar, West Tambaram.
The bus stop has also become a halting point for State Transport Corporation buses and private vehicles. “Autorickshaws and shareautorickshaws are parked at the bus stop in an attempt to woo customers. As the stretch is too crowded, we have no idea where the buses would halt. As a result, commuters are forced to run helter skelter to catch their route numbers.
A few metres away from the bus stop, there are traffic signals, meant for both pedestrians and motorists. Whenever the signals turn green, motorists struggle to move forward due to parking of autorickshaws and buses, thereby causing traffic congestion,” he adds.
Motorists say removal of encroachments from the bus stop alone will ensure free flow of traffic. An official from Tambaram municipality says, “Steps will soon be taken to remove encroachments.”
