DHARMAPURI: Residents of Dharmapuri town urged the district administration to ensure all buses to and from Salem enter the municipality limits. They cited poor direct connectivity after the opening of the new bus stand out of the town limits.
Earlier this month, the entire bus operations were shifted out of the town to the new bus stand at Sogathur. Buses bound for Salem, Tirupattur, Tiruvannamalai, Harur, Chennai, Vellore and other areas were shifted here. Subsequently, the frequency of buses within the town limits has gone down, depriving residents of adequate connectivity.
Residents want at least the buses to Salem resumed operation from the town.
Speaking to TNIE, B Selvakumaran from Dharmapuri town, said, "Only a few buses departing for Salem from the new bus stand pass through the town, but those coming from Salem do not enter as they pass through Oddapatti, Kakkangipuram, Thadangam to access the new bus stand via NH 44."
"As a result people from Nallampalli and Salem have no direct bus service to the town. Earlier, buses were available once every 15 minutes, but now they arrive only once every hour. We need more buses from Salem to the Dharmapuri Municipality," he added.
Another resident, J Vediappan, a labourer from Nallampalli, said, "The travel cost and time have gone up, but there is no convenience for passengers. If we board a Salem bus, we have to get off at Oddapatti and then take another town bus.
But these buses arrive once every half an hour. At night, I had to wait for one hour. Like me, many labourers who seek employment in Salem are stranded at night. The administration must allocate more buses or ensure all Salem buses pass through the town."
R Vetrivel from Oddpatti, a shopkeeper, said, "On Wednesday, the railway gate along the bus route was closed for nearly one hour, leading to a traffic jam for about half an hour until the gate was opened. This railway gate closes at least five times a day, causing traffic jams. The bus routes must be revised for the welfare of the people."
When TNIE reached out to officials in the Regional Transport Office, they said, "Efforts are underway to ensure that the bus connectivity can be improved."