TIRUCHY: One year has passed since the Panjappur Integrated Bus Terminus (KKBT) was commissioned, but state transport undertaking TNSTC has not been allotted land by the city corporation near the bus stand to establish workshops to undertake repairs and maintenance of its fleet.
According to activist N Saravan, who had filed a RTI query seeking details on the status of the facility, TNSTC had stated that it had written to the corporation seeking land for establishing a depot and maintenance yard.
The issue assumes significance as buses operating from Panjappur have to depend on the depots in Cantonment and the decommissioned central bus stand for repairs and scheduled maintenance. This results in additional travel, fuel and time loss, he said.
According to TNSTC officials, around 3.7 acres of land near Panjappur was identified for the proposed depot and maintenance yard when KKBT was commissioned in July 2025. The civic body had passed a resolution regarding the proposal. However, the project has not progressed.
"TNSTC buses operating from Panjappur have to travel nearly 20 km to and fro to the two existing depots, resulting in fuel and time losses. The schedules are already difficult to adhere to, and whenever a bus requires maintenance, the additional travel to the depot adds to the operational cost," said Saravan.
Nehru Durai, president of Tiruchy TNSTC union affiliated to AITUC, said the corporation has 17 branches in Tiruchy, with major repairs and servicing undertaken at the depots and minor repairs handled at the branches.
"The depot should have been constructed along with the bus stand. Since the two existing depots are located within the city limits, buses travelling to and from them also contribute to traffic congestion," he said.
A senior TNSTC official said the corporation tries to minimise the additional travel expense by routing buses scheduled for depot visits through the central bus stand. "We plan the trips in such a way that some buses scheduled to go to the depots are routed via the central bus stand from Panjappur, allowing them to pick up and drop passengers along the way. This helps utilise the trips and ensures there is no significant additional loss for the corporation," the official said.
