Unchecked encroachments by hawkers coupled with shortage of space has been hindering the movement of commuters, waiting for mofussil and inter-State buses at the lone Municipal bus stand in the city.
Illegal bunks have mushroomed in the bus stand, thanks to the laxity shown by the civic body in removing them, allege traders.
The terminus sees a daily traffic of over 1,000 buses, including those coming from the neighbouring States and a footfall of 50,000. However, passengers and traders are annoyed by its poor maintenance. Hawkers and unauthorised shops have taken over most of the space, making it difficult for commuters to walk freely.
“The entire area inside the bus stand has been encroached upon and the vendors have spread their goods inside the bus stand itself. Many unauthorised vendors have encroached more area than they could have received, had they been allotted space for hawking and vending. The hawkers have encroached into the bus bays and pedestrian pathway by installing their boards,” said a shopkeeper.
D. Jayaseelan, who regularly travels to Chennai, says the general upkeep has been compromised for the past few months. Hawkers block the narrow pathway and commuters have no space to even wait for buses. The seats in the terminus are damaged and people do not use the pay-and-use toilets as they are unclean. “Unauthorised shops have come up on all sides and the bus stand is in a complete mess,” he said.
“Puducherry Municipality had leased out 19 shops in the precincts in 1994. However, over the past few months, a number of makeshift shops have encroached in the vacant space for commuters. They have also set-up eateries, encroaching the pathway and a number of illegal kiosks have sprung up in the parking area allotted for traders in the bus stand,” Mr. Jayaseelan added.
“The space for commuters has drastically shrunk due to these vendors. An eviction drive by the civic body will send a right signal to others and prevent them from indulging in such illegal practices. While the municipality was following the practice of a 10% hike in the rent for shops every year, no steps have been taken to improve the amenities so far,” said G. Kathiresan, president of Puducherry Bus Stand Traders Federation.
According to a TNSTC bus driver, two-wheelers often encroach the bus bays, forcing buses to stop in the middle of the road and block the lane on the busy Maraimalai Adigal Salai. Illegal parking continues even during the day. The Traffic police initially cleared the mess but the encroachments continued, he said.
