Big problem for small buses

CHENNAI: An uncomfortable journey. This sufficiently explains the drive on Chennai roads that are often broken and patched up, owing to the ongoing Metro work and sewage pipeline relaying.  While in some areas the civic body is quick to bring the roads back to their previous glory, they are neglected in others. Case in point is Nemilicherry. Residents here have been struggling without two Small Bus services for four months now.

In November 2019, Pallavaram Municipality began digging the roads to replace a portion of the underground sewage system when Small Buses on two routes — S4 from Chromepet to Medavakkam and S9 from Medavakkam to Radha Nagar (Nemilichery) — were stopped. Though the work has been completed, buses are unable to ply because of the poor condition of the road.“Now, if we want to go to Medavakkam, we have to go from here to Chromepet, take a bus to Tambaram and then from there take another bus to Medavakkam,” said C Murugaiyan, a resident of AGS Colony. Alternatively, residents have to go to Kilkattalai in their own modes of transport and from there take a bus to Medavakkam. Both are more expensive and time-consuming for the 600 families in the locality, many of whom come from economically-disadvantaged backgrounds.

“We thought that once the work is completed, the bus services will resume. But even after many months, there is no sign of the road being relaid or the buses returning,” said C Arasi of Tirupur Kumaran street.
Roads in Postal Nagar and AGS Colony, Nemilichery Main Road and Mettu Street, leading to Nanmangalam Main Road and Muthusamy Nagar, were found in poor condition due to the shoddy patchwork. Portions of the road that were cut were found to be at a different height than the other parts of the road, making it difficult for motorists.

When contacted, MTC officials confirmed that the two services were withheld due to poor condition of roads. “It is difficult even for two-wheelers to ply on those roads, let alone mini buses. However, this is a temporary arrangement; if the roads are relaid properly, the services will resume,” the official said. Highways officials, under whose purview a large part of the route is, told Express that Pallavaram Municipality sought to break the roads twice in the recent past — once for water supply and then again for this sewerage work. “The Municipality is supposed to pay us the cost of relaying the roads. It paid us the first time after completing the water supply work, but after the sewerage work it took up in November, it has not paid us the cost,” the official said. The Municipality allegedly owes the Highways Department around `50 lakh for having broken these roads. Municipality officials were unavailable for comment.