COIMBATORE: The parking of vehicles by the public in the dedicated bus bays at the Udumalpet central bus stand in Tiruppur district has become a nuisance. Upset bus drivers demanded that the police department and Udumalpet Municipality take stringent action against the practice.
A corporation bus driver, P Muthusamy (name changed), in Udumalpet told TNIE that several buses to areas such as Dharapuram, Erode, and Mettupalayam via Tiruppur as well as town buses are operated from here.
"With eight bus bays in the bus stand, drivers park their buses in the bays and depart after a halt time of 10 to 20 minutes. When buses are not present, motorists, including two-wheeler riders and pickup van drivers who deliver bakery and fruit items to local shops, park their vehicles in the middle of the bays. Due to this, drivers are forced to locate the vehicle owners or push the vehicles out of the bays. As a result, drivers and conductors lose their short rest period of 10 to 20 minutes at the bus stand, causing much stress," he alleged.
Private bus conductor K Manikandan told TNIE, "We have to park the buses inside the bus stand premises instead of the bays, leading to congestion. Drivers face difficulties while trying to exit as the buses are parked improperly."
Although the police department has placed a board warning that a fine of Rs 500 will be imposed on private vehicles entering the bus stand, no one is bothered, he said.
He alleged that the police also do not consider it a serious violation. Police personnel should be deployed here to monitor the situation and seize the vehicles, or the Udumalpet Municipality should appoint staff to curb this violation.
A senior officer of the Deputy Superintendent of Police in Udumalpet told TNIE that immediate action would be taken through the traffic police.