CHENNAI: The State Express Transport Corporation (SETC) on Sunday diverted all buses bound for central and southern districts, which originate at CMBT, via Vadapalani, Guindy, Pallavaram and Tambaram.
So far, except a few select ordinary services, all buses including the air-conditioned, have run via the Chennai bypass road.
While the SETC said the decision was aimed at ensuring ease for south suburban commuters who have to travel up to Perungalathur for boarding buses, a section of commuters rued that the move would increase travel time by 90 minutes for those boarding buses at the CMBT.
The higher travel time during festival season would force many to opt for private omnibuses, commuters said.
Official sources said that so far commuters from Guindy, Adyar, Taramani, St. Thomas Mount, Pallavaram, Madipakkam, Kovilambakkam, Thiruvanmiyur and Thuraipakkam faced hardships in boarding SETC buses at Perungalathur owing to shortage of MTC buses and heavy traffic during rush hour.
Similarly, during the return journey, commuters from Tiruchy and Madurai get down at Perungalathur and board MTC bus or take cab to reach their destinations in suburban areas.
V Baskaran, Managing Director, SETC, said, “From June, ordinary services are operated via inner ring road and GST road during non-rush hour. Henceforth, all buses will be diverted via Ashok Pillar and Tambaram,” he said, adding that southern suburban areas were densely populated and the decision was taken only for the benefit of commuters.
Given that the bridge construction works at Koyambedu, Pallavaram and Vandalur have been delayed for 12 months, regular travellers from northern parts of Chennai pointed out that the move would only increase the traffic congestion and thereby the travel time.
“Both GST and inner ring road witness huge vehicular pile-up during rush hour. Adding over 1,000 buses would only increase traffic, forcing the commuters to opt for private omnibuses,” said S Sankaran of Anna Nagar, a bus enthusiast.
A few SETC drivers and conductors said though the move increased the ticket revenue, the travel time increased by two hours.
“If the buses are diverted after completion of on-going bridge works, it will benefit both commuters and workers.”