CHENNAI: Following a TNIE report which highlighted that the S100 Metro feeder service, from the airport to Tambaram, was not plying across any residential areas, the bus has been rerouted. It is now plying across several streets in Chitlapakkam, Hasthinapuram and East Tambaram.
The Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) introduced feeder services from the airport to Tambaram West in the first week of August. However, the route of the bus, S100, was only running parallel to GST, leaving behind the residential areas of Hasthinapuram, Chitlapakkam and Tambaram East.
With at least 20 MTC buses plying along the same route, residents had requested the feeder bus be rerouted through interior localities. “Upon hearing the requests of the residents after the publication of the article, the bus is now taking a different route, covering Chitlapakkam Anna Street, Gandhi Road, Muthulakshmi Nagar, Karunanidhi Street, Babu Street Junction, Pamban Swami Salai, Thirumurugan Salai, Chitlapakkam Second and Third Main Road, Tambaram Sanatorium railway station and Tambaram railway station,” said an official from MTC.
They would now gauge the patronage and make further changes t o the route, i f necessary. Earlier, only 0.5 km of the entire route consisted of residential areas. “We are delighted that action was taken at such short notice. Several school and office-goers are utilising the facility now.
Also, the service has greatly reduced the cost of our travel,” said Dayanand Krishnan, a resident activist who was instrumental in bringing the change. While Chitlapakkam has a population of about 60,000, Hasthinapuram and Tambaram East, each have more than a lakh residents.