It is four years since the Korattur terminus was renovated, and residents are still waiting to see an adequate number of services being operated to other neighbourhoods. Broadway, T. Nagar and Thiruvanmiyur are among the areas that commuters want to see bus services being operated to.

To give a picture of how difficult it is for commuters now, to go to CMBT, Koyambedu, Tambaram, Anna Salai, Perambur, Red Hills and Poonamallee, they have to board a minimum of two buses.

Currently, only a few bus services, mostly to Broadway (7B, S7B, 07B and 0S7B and M47D (Extension)), T. Nagar and 23C Extension to Thiruvanmiyur, are being operated from the terminus. Therefore, commuters rely on share-autos and maxi cabs to reach key stretches such as J.N. Main Road where many buses are available.

“The terminus is the only public transport facility in the neighbourhood. More services and new routes should be introduced to benefit commuters,” says K. Ashok, a commuter from Korattur.

The terminus has basic amenities like water taps, toilets, bus shelters, electronic timing boards, a time keeper’s booth, dust bins, seating arrangements, rest rooms for the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) staff, bus bays and a compound wall. The sandy floor of the terminus was levelled with concrete mix and the height of the floor raised to at least two feet to prevent water logging at the terminus during monsoon. In 2008, the approach road and the floor of the terminus were laid with bitumen after complaints from many commuters about water logging.

Every day, hundreds of commuters from areas like Balaji Nagar, Gandhi Nagar, Agaharam, TVS Nagar and Central Avenue board buses at the terminus to reach Broadway, Anna Salai, Teynampet, T. Nagar, Koyambedu, Red Hills, Villivakkam, Perambur and Kilpauk. Many workers from the SIDCO (Small Industrial Development Corporation) Industrial Estate board buses at the terminus. One of the major advantages of having this terminus is that the facility is located on the main road, which connects the Chennai Bypass and the Jawaharlal Nehru (JN) Main Road. It also provides a link between Korattur and Villivakkam and Ambattur Industrial Estate.

“Steps will be taken soon to introduce more buses at the terminus soon,” says an MTC official.