Residents of Periya Kovilambakkam have requested Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) to introduce small bus services that would benefit them, and have suggested three routes. They want these services to be operated from Medavakkam Koot Road bus terminus, Keezhkattalai bus terminus and Chromepet halting point; and they want all three services to have Velachery Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) railway station as their final stop on the other side.
Commuters have further pointed out that they want the small buses to ply through Kovilambakkam Panchayat Office, Sunnambu Kolathur, Sunnambu Kolathur Eri, and Keezhkattalai intersection from Medavakkam Koot Road and Keezhkattalai bus terminuses. By doing so, these buses would be covering sections of Pallavaram – Thoraipakkam 200-Feet Radial Road and Tambaram-Velachery Main Road.
They say that the lack of direct bus services to Velachery MRTS railway station via Radial Road, has put them to great inconvenience.
Commuters board 91 (Tambaram West–Thiruvanmiyur), 91, a cut service plying between Thiruvanmiyur and Chromepet, and 91V (Vandalur Zoo – Thiruvanmiyur), either from Vinayagapuram or Eechangadu bus stop and alight at Dr. Kamakshi Memorial Hospital halting point.
From that halting point, they have to walk either to Balaji Nagar or Balaji Dental College halting points and board 5A, 51, and A51 to go to the the Velachery MRTS station
During rush hour, the route numbers 91, 91, a cut service and 91V are packed to the roof.
L. Muralidharan, president, Tranquil Acres Owners’ Association, Periya Kovilambakkam, says that share autos don’t ply regularly on this stretch, and there commueters are forced to depend on auto-rickshaws during rush hour.
“We have made representations to MTC about this, but they are yet to act upon our request,” says Muralidharan.