COIMBATORE: The Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC), Coimbatore region, has been urged to operate additional buses for students residing in Kuttaiyur.
Mettupalayam-based activist S Basha told TNIE that several students have been forced to walk about 2 kilometres to reach the Government Arts College, Mettupalayam, from Kuttaiyur due to inadequate bus services.
"At present, three town buses (1A, 7B, and 24) are operated from the Mettupalayam bus stand to the college via Shivaranjani Theatre, CTC bus depot, and Kuttaiyur village. Buses 1A and 7B each make two trips, while bus 24 makes four trips from the bus stand to the college daily," he said.
He pointed out that with around 1,400 students who mostly depend on bus services to reach the college daily, the existing number of buses is inadequate.
"As the college is located about 2 km from Kuttaiyur, students coming from Coimbatore have to travel via Kuttaiyur on town buses. Nearly 300 students use this route every day, but the number of buses is insufficient. At times, drivers of the existing three buses do not stop at Kuttaiyur as the buses are already crowded, forcing other students to walk the remaining distance to the college," he said.
"Female students, in particular, face difficulties reaching college or returning home. Officials should operate at least two additional buses in the morning and evening so that students can travel to college without any difficulty," he urged.
When asked about it, a top officer from TNSTC, Coimbatore region, told TNIE that he would look into this matter through branch officers.