CHENNAI: Bus no 27H - operated between Avadi and Anna Square has been renumbered as 40H. It provides connectivity to about dozen colleges including Quaid-E-Millath, Ethiraj, WCC, Loyola, Pachaiyappa’s, Madras University, Presidency College and a few private colleges in Northwestern suburbs. It’s probably the only bus route operated by MTC that covers highest number of women’s arts colleges in city.
About nine buses make 36 trips from Avadi to Anna Square in a day and is almost always crowded. The other bus, 40A, between Avadi and Anna Square, runs almost in the same route except between Aminjakarai and Pudupet - from Aminjakarai it goes via Pachaiyappa’s, Dasprakash and Egmore station before reaching Pudupet. While 40H is being operated via Choolaimedu, Metha Nagar, Loyola College, Sterling road and Egmore hospital.
K Ganesan, MD, MTC, said the change was only to have same numbers for buses operated to Avadi. “Bus number 40 is being operated to Avadi. So we have assigned the same number to another bus in order to improve accessibility to commuters,” he said.
However, the number change has misguided a lot as many KMC bound patients boarded 40H instead of 40A. S Sankaralingam of Mannurpet said, “The route number on the digital board is often not visible during daytime. Seeing the number 40, I boarded it to go to KMC hospital but was asked to get down at Aminjakarai and board another bus.”
Though bus numbers underwent similar changes in other routes, the renumbering exercise was aimed at curbing the unruly behaviour of college students in the route, said official sources. A 27H bus (now 40H), was taken over by students during bus celebration on June 17.
"27 H, along with a few more routes, is being monitored by police. 40A and 40H may be merged and services are likely to be reduced during non-peak hours. The route may also be rationalised to ensure college students don’t hijack the bus," said an officer bearer of MTC employees union. However, MTC officials denied any such plans to reduce the services.
Change in number