TIRUCHY : Students of Bharathidasan University (BDU), Palkalaiperur campus, have urged TNSTC and private bus operators to resume halting at the designated bus stops on the service road along the Tiruchy-Pudukkottai highway.
According to students, buses frequently skip the authorised stops located about 100 metres from the campus entrance on both sides of the highway towards Tiruchy and Pudukkottai. As a result, commuters are forced to wait and board buses on the highways, exposing them to harsh weather conditions and the risk posed by speeding vehicles.
A second-year MBA student said, “From the day I joined, I have been boarding buses from the highway. I don’t understand why buses avoid the service road even during peak hours. Sometimes, buses stop abruptly on either side of the two-way road, blocking traffic and forcing students to board quickly amid moving vehicles.”
A second-year MSc biotechnology student also pointed out to the limited number of buses to the Central Bus Stand compared to services to Panjappur after the establishment of the new bus terminus.
“Speed breakers should be installed as buses approach at high speed and halt suddenly. Vehicles behind them may not anticipate a stop, increasing the risk of accidents,” she added. Students said the issue was raised during a recent consultative meeting with Higher Education Minister P Viswanathan held at the BDU Khajamalai campus two weeks ago.
T Anbalagan, an autorickshaw driver operating along the Pudukkottai road, said, “There were earlier demands for an overpass along with service roads, but that did not materialise. Buses continue to stop unpredictably, and minor accidents are frequent.”
He added that speed breakers laid earlier were removed during a VIP visit and later not reinstated effectively.
Sources within BDU said the bus stops were constructed around five years ago when the service roads were developed.
“Initially, buses used the service road for a few months, but later reverted to stopping on the highway,” a source said. Attempts to contact Registrar (in-charge) R Kalidasan were unsuccessful. A senior TNSTC official said the matter would be reviewed.