Chennai: The neighbourhood of Velacheri faces an everyday battle with traffic. The number of IT companies that have mushroomed on the stretch and the ongoing twin flyovers construction may be blamed for it.
But one of the greatest inconveniences people here face is easy and free movement inside and outside the Vijaya Nagar bus terminus. The terminus has shrunk in size because of the flyover work, and the area gets even more chaotic as buses stop on the road itself to allow passengers to board up and down.
The place is also not user friendly for people coming here to get their bus passes. A long, serpentine queue is formed and it goes till the main road. Standing in the queue becomes difficult during extreme weather conditions. Facilities such as toilets and benches are poorly maintained.
Many rue that the distance between the terminus and the railway station is very long. “Commuters using the public transport have to get down from here and take a long walk through the Station Road to reach the MRTS. It is very challenging during the peak hours,” says Damodaran, a commuter.
A resident of Spic Nagar, Marimuthu says, “The Vijaya Nagar terminus has been narrowed down due to the construction of twin flyovers. Being one of the main bus stops, it is an important public infrastructure. It is high time we get a spacious one. It would be convenient if a terminus is built close to the MRTS station as it would become an integrated transport system. The current place can be converted into a bus stop if needed. This will facilitate the commuters to use buses and MRTS better.”
Another commuter Sahaya says, “We heard that the recent anti-encroachment drive took place to shift the bus terminus there. We hope it happens so we can easily access the train instead of walking or riding all the way.”