Due to the lack of basic amenities such as seating arrangements, digital time boards offering details about bus services, the Metropolitan Transport Corporation terminus in Poonamallee is hardly commuter-friendly.

Besides, the terminus also scores low on the safety parameter as it lacks sufficient illumination and CCTV cameras and there is no police patrolling. Due to these factors, many commuters choose to wait on Mount-Poonamallee High Road and not at the terminus.

Besides, a portion of the bus-bays area is occupied by vehicles making it difficult for the MTC drivers to take the buses out of the terminus. Another problem is that the exit path is quite narrow. The widening of the exit spot is getting delayed due to problems in land acquisition. Due to these factors, there is traffic chaos in front of the terminus on Mount-Poonamallee High Road, which comes under the maintenance of the State Highways Department. The road witnesses heavy traffic as it connects Tiruvallur and Vellore districts. Besides, agricultural produce from a few villages is transported via this road, before being taken to the wholesale market in Koyambedu.

“It is such an important road but traffic congestion near the terminus is a regular occurrence,” says S. Kavitha, a resident of Poonamallee.

“Steps will be taken to improve the basic facilities at the terminus,” says an MTC official.