CHENNAI: From being filled with slush, mud and ankle-deep water during the rainy season, the Mogappair East bus terminus now sports a concrete look, much to the relief of the hundreds of local residents who use it every day. However, there still require a lot more facilities that the terminus requires, said commuters. “Once it used be filled with bushes, and would turn muddy during the rains. When it rained heavily, we had to stand in ankle-deep water. Now it is much better after they laid cement floor,” P Periasamy, long time resident in the area, told City Express.
The terminus was spruced up using `50 lakh, funded equally by the Metropolitan Transport Corporation and MLA Constituency Development Fund. “Apart from the cement floor, however, there is no drinking water nor are there toilets. The Namma Toilets in the vicinity are not in a usable condition. They constructed a shelter, but it was not built properly,” Periasamy added.
The same sentiment was echoed by K Vasanthi, another resident: “There is a shelter but we cannot sit there most of the time, as it does not provide any shade from the sweltering sun. It is built that way. Proper toilet and drinking water facilities will be really helpful for commuters.”
Another issue they face is the lack of connectivity to other parts of the city, though this area has expanded substantially in recent times. “There are no direct buses from here to Avadi, Redhills, Thiruverkadu and Ambattur OT or places within the city like Egmore. Over the years, the population here has increased, but not enough buses are being operated,” added Periasamy.
When contacted, MLA G Beem Rao said that revamping the terminal was a long-pending demand of the populace, which prompted him to extend funds earmarked for constituency development. “There is no separate entry and exit points for buses. But I learned that a piece of land that belonged to MTC was given away. There now is place to make another entry point now,” he criticised.
The MLA said he had also insisted on constructing toilets, but it is yet to materialise. “At the time of extending funds, I had made a request to the corporation to introduce more buses from here to have better connectivity for the people here. I will find out whether there is any such plan,” Beem Rao added. MTC officials were unavailable to comment on their plans for the terminus.