SALEM: The Bharat Ratna Dr MGR Central Bus Stand, a crucial transit point connecting Salem to other parts of Tamil Nadu and beyond, has become a maze of parked buses and blocked pathways due to poor parking management. This has left passengers, especially children and the elderly, to navigate through the daily chaos.
On average, nearly 1,000 government buses and 340 private buses operate from the stand daily. During weekends and holidays, an additional 500 special buses are added to meet the rush. The daily footfall reaches 75,000 passengers, and on weekends, it can go as high as 1 lakh.
Salem is also a vital link point where commuters from across the state arrive to change buses. Buses operate to various destinations, including Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Erode, Ooty, Tiruchy, Madurai, Kumbakonam, Villupuram, Mayiladuthurai, Chidambaram, Puducherry, Chennai, Tirupati, Chittoor, and Vellore.
Instead of moving in and out swiftly, buses often halt well beyond their allotted time. Many are parked right in the center of the bus stand, blocking walking paths and choking the inflow of vehicles.
Passengers are left with no clear space to move. They are forced to squeeze between buses or take zigzag routes just to reach the exit. "This parking problem has become a regular issue now," said a fruit vendor at the stand. "Earlier, buses would leave within 10 minutes, giving enough space for the next one. Now some stay for more than 30 minutes, creating a jam. On Sundays, it becomes very difficult to even enter the bus stand."
For the elderly, children, and those carrying luggage, the struggle is worse. At times, buses overloaded with passengers are made to stop in the middle of the terminus itself. The sudden drop-off not only creates traffic bottlenecks but also raises safety concerns, as commuters have to weave between moving buses and narrow spaces to exit. In the middle of this congestion, there is always another bus either speeding through or making a U-turn, adding to the chaos.
One passenger from Villupuram described the experience as 'a puzzle,' comparing it to TV shows where contestants must pass through a series of blocks to reach the finish line.
TNSTC officials say that there are 80 designated slots inside the stand, but passengers point out that buses often exceed the limit, creating the very congestion that makes movement unsafe.