In many ways Tiruchy is the microcosm of India’s tumultous past. If imperialists triggered the tripartite struggle for supremacy between the Cholas, the Pandyas and the Cheras, the colonialists in the French and the British East India companies saw it as a strategic acquisition to launch their pan-peninsular ambitions. From the might of the Mughals, the tact of the Nayaks to the hardihood of the Marathas, Tiruchy has seen it all.
Today, were any cavalry of yore to traverse through Tiruchy, they would have had a hard time negotiating the congested labyrinth the city has transformed into. Such is the condition of roads in Tiruchy West --- one of the six Assembly constituencies in the district --- that solution to the traffic woes figures high on voters’ list of demands.
Situated almost at the geographical centre of the State, Tiruchy has always been an emerging city, but not quite reaching there. Considering Tiruchy’s strategic importance, former chief minister M G Ramachandran mulled making it the second State capital. After independence, there was a spurt in industrial development, with installations like BHEL, Golden Rock Railway Workshop and Ordnance factory coming up. Regarded as a hub for higher education, the city houses premiere institutions like the NIT and IIM among others.
Despite the development, the city grapples with poor roads, making it a motorist’s nightmare. Bottlenecks on narrow, congested lanes are a daily occurrence. A cross-section of commuters put the blame on lack of an integrated bus terminus and a private omni bus stand . K Nagarajan, a senior citizen from KK Nagar, says, “The traffic condition has worsened in the 65 years of my living here. I need to board two buses from my home to reach Chathram Bus Terminal, from where I catch another one to Karur, as many vehicles are not allowed to enter Central Bus Stand due to congestion.”
For S Raja, a commuter from Pudukottai, the ordeal lies in beating the heavy rush inside the city. “I have never seen a bus leaving the Central Stand on its scheduled time, as it takes over 10 minutes to snake its way out of the terminus due to traffic congestion.”
After racking their brains for a solution to the traffic woes, the officials saw a way out in a multi-tier flyover. What was to be a panacea eventually backfired, feels S Chandrasekaran, a private bus ticket agent. “We had separate areas to park buses near hotel Vignesh and hotel PLA Rathna. However, once the work on the flyover began, we were forced to look for other areas. Now, we park buses in the town bus stand due to space crunch. The only way to redress the issue is to construct two integrated bus termini --- one for government buses and the other for the private operators,” he says.
Electorally, both the Dravidian parties have tasted success here --- the incumbent is from the AIADMK. Former transport minister K N Nehru was elected from here in 2006 on a DMK ticket. This time, Nehru is taking on AIADMK’s R Manoharan, DMDK-PWA’s A Joseph Gerald, PMK’s Sridhar and NTK’s Sethumanoharan.
Political Rows Choke City Streets
Activists claim that the traffic woes are a by-product of the tussle that emerges every five years when there is a change of guard in the seat of power at Chennai. According to S Pushpavanam, secretary of Consumer Protection Council, the main reason for the inordinate delay in addressing the issue is the fight between the two parties that have alternatively come to power every five years. “Functionaries of one party want the integrated terminal at Panjappur, while the members of the other want it to be at Devathaanam. This tussle over location has resulted in the long wait spanning over a decade,” Pushpavanam adds
I have never seen a bus leaving the Central Stand on its scheduled time, as it takes over 10 minutes to snake its way out of the terminus due to traffic congestion — S Raja, A commuter
Traffic has worsened in the 65 years of my living here. I board two buses from my home to reach Chathram Bus Terminal, from where I catch another to Karur — K Nagarajan, A local resident