Chennai: The withdrawal of MTC bus route 49A connecting T Nagar and Poonamallee, through West Mambalam and Ashok Nagar, seems to have affected several residents.
For those in T Nagar, the said route served as a viable mode of transport to reach destinations like West Mambalam, Ashok Nagar and Valasaravakkam till Poonamallee.
“It served many office-goers like me, especially in the evening hours,” commented Sudha Suresh, a commuter, at the terminus here.
“Now, we have no alternative except to shell huge amounts for autos and call taxis,” she said.
According to sources, the route that existed for several decades, also helped residents of various streets to reach institutions like Public Health Centre, Ayodhya Mandapam at West Mambalam with nominal fare.
“I wonder why they took this decision without any public consultation,” pointed out Krishna Kumar, a resident of Burkit Road.
When approached, an official of MTC, said, “Routes like these were withdrawn after a study pointed out poor revenue collections.”
“Also, these kind of cut downs become inevitable, at a time when authorities are doling out several concessions to commuters,” he added.
Many, however, feel that instead of withdrawing the facility completely, alternative options could have been worked out.
“If they feel that the revenue is inadequate, they could have reduced the frequency. This way, commuters would not have been affected much,” said Ramya, a college student and regular user of the route.
