CHENNAI: The State Express Transport Corporation (SETC) has introduced new bus service from Vellore to Sengottai via Madurai recently. According to official sources, the new ultra deluxe bus will start from the Vellore new bus stand at 8 pm and reach Sengottai around 8 am next day after passing through Tiruvannamalai, Tiruchy, Madurai and Virudhunagar.Similarly, on the return journey, the bus from Sengottai will start at 6 pm and will reach Vellore around 7 am next day.
The new direct bus service is expected to provide huge relief to bus commuters from the region, as Vellore and Tiruvannamalai districts have been deprived of direct bus services to the southern Tamil Nadu for several years. The two districts have a population of more than 60 lakh.SETC operates 10 buses services from Tirupathi to Madurai, Tiruchy, Tirunelveli and Kanniyakumari a day, which passes through Vellore and Tiruvannamalai.
Commuters who solely depend on these buses face lot of hardship due to inadequate bus services. Apart from bus services, lack of train connectivity from Vellore-Tiruvannamalai to the southern Tamil Nadu added to the woes of commuters as there is no direct day-time train being operated in this section.
The Chennai-Palakkad Express connects with Dindigul from Katpadi and Meenakshi tri weekly Express (Rameswaram and Tirupati) and Rameswaram- Okha weekly Express are operated in this section.“The Madurai-Dehradun bi-weekly Express is operated in the wee hours. Buses from Tirupathi mostly come fully loaded. During weekends, we travel upto Tiruchy or Villupuram to board buses to go to Madurai, a commuter said.