CHENNAI: Many parts of Chennai and outskirts have lost bus connectivity in the last few years with no buses or skeleton services. Data collected by Express from regular commuters and bus enthusiasts reveal that Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) abolished over 40 routes across the city in the last few years.
Buses on select routes which were patronised by regular commuters got slowly reduced and were abolished in the following few months. The worst affected areas are Pattabiram, Thoraipakam, Kolathur Lakshmi Nagar, K K Nagar, Kodungaiyur, Perambur, Ayanavaram, G K M Colony, Broadway, Poonamallee and T Nagar.
Also many newly developed areas too have lost bus connectivity. The Perambur - Thoraipakkam (no 129) which was introduced a few years ago was patronised well among locals and provided direct connectivity to SRP tools, Tidel park and Kanthachavadi."The buses vanished in the last few months as a result of which we have to board two buses to reach Thoraipakkam," said K Krishnan of Kumaran Nagar.
The ordeal of commuters who regularly travel between Poonamallee and Sholinganallur is no different. Buses on route number 66 S Sholinganallur - Poonmallee, which provided direct connectivity between two destinations on the city's outskirts were also withdrawn. Areas on southern outskirts of Chennai including Sholiganallur and Pallikaranai fully depend on bus services to reach Porur and beyond. The bus which was operated to full capacity was suddenly withdrawn without any alternative service, rued another commuter S Rajesh, a bus enthusiast from Karaiyanchavadi.
The MTC claims that it operates over 3600 buses on 833 routes catering for about 38 lakh commuters a day. The corporation which has over 70 per cent of over-aged buses is unable to expand its services to the newly developed areas. The withdrawal of bus services has resulted in an increase in two-wheelers in Chennai say commuters.
According to official data as on April 1 this year, Chennai has 53,94,413 vehicles out of which 42,55,811 are two-wheelers. When contacted, Renganathan, General Manager (operations) MTC said the buses which were withdrawn may be put on new routes or existing routes that has a huge transportation demand.
"We have introduced a lot of buses on new routes. Bus routes are rationalised purely based on commuter demand regardless of ticket collection," he said.
Bus routes which disappeared in the last few years: 38D-Kodungaiyur Parvathy Nagar - TiruvottriyurT151 - Siruseri - Medavakkam Koot Road12 C - Mylapore - Saligramam19D - Adyar - Kelambakkam (or Siruseri)500J - Velachery - Chengalpattu170P- Pattabiram - Tambaram129-Perambur - Okkiyam Thoraipakkam170E- IOC - CMBT58A- Red Hills - Broadway37DX - Mint - Guindy IEF70- Pattabiram - GuindyPP21 - Broadway - Guduvanchery46C-Kodungaiyur Parvathy Nagar - CMBTB21 - Broadway - Radial Road - TambaramH51 - Broadway - Tambaram170P- Pattabiram - Tambaram46P- GKM Colony - CMBT66P- Pattabiram - Tambaram66S - Sholinganallur - Poonamallee153c- Pattabiram - CMBT11A - Vallalar Nagar - T Nagar138A - Periyar Nagar - Tiruvottriyur33 extn- KKD Nagar - Broadway139 - Guindy - Siruseri17 - Broadway - Vadapalani19H - T Nagar - Kanathur11AX - Vallalar Nagar - Rangarajapuram33 -MKB Nagar - Broadway500G - Velachery - Guduvancheri29Cx- Mathur MMDA - Tiruvanmiyur170M -Manali - VelacheryA70- Avadi - Pallavaram121B -Minjur - CMBT121E -MKB Nagar - Pattabiram37B- Thiru vi ka Nagar - Vadapalani.