Chennia: The closure of a mofussil ticket counter at T Nagar bus terminus, seems to have placed commuters and residents of the area, in a quandary, as they now need to go all the way to Koyambedu.
“The counter which catered to many for several years should be revived,” voiced Ramani, one such commuter here.
“It was helpful for people of areas like West Mambalam, CIT Nagar, Nandanam and Saidapet, to buy tickets to mofussil areas throughout the State. Without any notice, they have shut it down, leaving us to go to Koyambedu for the same purpose,” he pointed out.
The decision to shut the facility had been taken, along with the withdrawal of air-conditioned buses to destinations like
Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur, sometime ago, it is informed.
Ramani said, “While the authorities suggest to book tickets online, it is still not practical for many elderly people, who prefer to do the same through the counter. The one that existed at T Nagar bus terminus also facilitated shoppers of the area to plan and buy tickets well in advance to reach their hometowns.”
Meanwhile, a temporary provision at the said place to help the summer crowd, too had been closed at the end of May.
According to an official of the Corporation, “The booking can be done online and commuters can comfortably select bus routes and buy tickets. The one that was opened for a short while here, was to help those who were on vacation.” The move has brought displeasure to many regular travellers.
“That was the first such facility in the T Nagar bus terminus, that was set up several decades ago. It should continue to function,” commented Venkataraman, a resident of Mannar Street.
“While I agree that going digital is the order of the day, it might not be applicable for everything,” he said, adding, “If the authorities do not reverse their decision, people would be forced to travel by private buses, that charge exorbitant rates.”
“While the authorities suggest to book tickets online, it is still not practical for many elderly people, who prefer to do the same through the counter,” he said.