TIRUCHY: Residents’ joy of a long-pending demand being fulfilled with the inauguration of a bus shelter at Sanjeev Nagar in the city this June has been short-lived as they complain of hardly any bus stopping at the facility on the Tiruchy-Chennai national highway.
This leaves us with few options but to risk criss-crossing through the vehicles at the nearest traffic signal and board the halted buses to travel 15 km to the Panjappur terminus from where we further make our onward journey to our destinations, they said.
It’s not residents of Sanjeev Nagar but those in nearby Devathanam, ARK Nagar, Panaiyakurichi and Sarkarpalayam also are left with few options but to travel to the Muthamizharignar Kalaignar M Karunanidhi Integrated Bus Terminus (KKBT) in Panjappur to board buses to destinations like Namakkal, Salem, Karur, Perambalur, Villupuram and Cuddalore.
This comes even as the buses heading to Chennai from KKBT cross Sanjeev Nagar to head to their destination. Acting on the petition of the residents submitted with him and the city corporation, Tiruchy East MLA Dr Inigo S Irudayaraj -- under whose constituency Sanjeev Nagar falls -- held consultations with the civic body as well as the transport department and allotted Rs 16 lakh from his local area development funds for the construction of the bus shelter.
The facility was inaugurated on the side of the NH at Sanjeev Nagar on June 6 this year. Residents, however, complain that most buses continue to bypass the stop. A Arunan, a resident of Sanjeev Nagar, said, "Even town buses heading to Samayapuram do not stop at the shelter.
Every time we try to get into a bus near the signal, we put ourselves in danger. Heavy vehicle movement, speeding cars and lack of space make it unsafe." Another resident, K Alagar said, "The existing shelter is only on one side of the road. Buses returning towards Tiruchy travel on the opposite side where there is no shelter.
As a result, passengers have no safe place to disembark. We are forced to get down at Palpannai but there are no direct town buses to Sanjeev Nagar. Many of us end up walking long distances or have to depend on private vehicles, which is risky and costly." When contacted, MLA Irudayaraj told TNIE, "I built the shelter after receiving petitions from the public and holding inspections at the spot.
Recently, I saw buses stopping there. I, however, will discuss the matter with transport officials to ensure regular halt at Sanjeev Nagar." Meanwhile, a senior transport department official in Tiruchy said, "There is little chance of buses stopping at Sanjeev Nagar at present as the police are not letting buses to halt on the highway. We, however, will look into the issue and explore the possibility of permitting buses to stop at the shelter."