CHENNAI: As part of a plan to decongest Koyambedu and the surrounding areas, the transport department on Monday announced that all mofussil bus services of the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) headed towards Tiruchy, Salem, Tiruvannamalai and other delta and northern regions will operate from the Kalaignar Centenary Bus Terminus (KCBT) in Kilambakkam and the Madhavaram Bus Terminus (MMBT) from Tuesday.
Currently, SETC and omnibuses headed towards the central and southern districts are being operated from the KCBT.
Of the 870 bus services operating from Koyambedu’s Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus (CMBT), 710 have been relocated to KCBT while 160 services will ply from MMBT.
These services cover 13 destinations, including Tiruchy, Salem, Virudhachalam, Kallakurichi, Kumbakonam, Chidambaram, Neyveli, Puducherry and Cuddalore (via Tindivanam), Tiruvannamalai (via Gingee), Polur and Vandavasi.
“For the convenience of commuters, TNSTC buses of the Villupuram corporation will now terminate at Tambaram during the return trip to Chennai but will depart from KCBT,” Transport Minister SS Sivasankar said in a statement.
Buses operating towards Puducherry and Cuddalore via ECR will continue to operate from CMBT.
Similarly, buses bound for Vellore, Hosur, Ambur and Tirupattur via Poonamallee will continue to operate from CMBT, Sivasankar added. Currently, MTC operates 298 buses from KCBT, making a total of 1,690 trips per day. Additionally 202 buses pass through the terminus, making an additional 2,386 trips.
A total of 4.077 trips are made to the KCBT every day. New services for long-distance travelers have been launched from KCBT to Tambaram and Kilambakkam.
“We have adequate bus services to connect commuters to KCBT and MMBT for hassle-free travel. Depending on the patronage, we will rationalise the services,” an official said. Earlier, amid resistance from a section of operators, the operation of omnibuses was shifted to KCBT on January 26.
On Sunday, six omnibuses were seized for transporting passengers from CMBT instead of KCBT.