With passengers preferring private modes of transport such as twowheelers over the public transport due to the threat of pandemic spread and lockdown restrictions, transportation experts and passengers urge the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) to make available parking facilities in its bus termini for benefit of the commuters.
Chennai:
After MTC resumed service in September, the passenger patronage has come down steeply by 60 per cent, with the public preferring to travel in their two-wheelers. Before the lockdown, over 30 lakh passengers were travelling in the buses every day, when fell to 12-13 lakh passengers per day in the post-lockdown period.
V Dhayanantham, general secretary of the CITU-affiliated union in MTC, said the passengers were still scared of travelling by bus and preferred to use their own vehicles, particularly two-wheelers. “The fall in patronage began when the bus fares were raised steeply in January 2018. Many passengers switched to other modes of transport, including two-wheelers. The pandemic made the situation worse
and now a large chunk has given up bus travel due to fear,” he said, adding that MTC should make available two-wheeler and cycle parking facilities in all its termini.
“Parking facilities are available in the railway and Metro stations. Why are such facilities not being provided to the bus commuters? It would be an additional source of revenue for the MTC,” he said.
K Saravanan from Villivakkam, a regular commuter, said passengers boarding bus from the Villivakkam terminus has been demanding two-wheeler parking facility for several years. “In absence of parking facility, passengers are haphazardly parking their bikes and scooters on the road side, leading to traffic congestion,” he said.
KP Subramaniam, retired professor of urban engineering from Anna University, said bus termini should have space for two-wheeler and cycle parking. “The MTC termini are located in prime location where there is space crunch. There is a proposal to remodel the T Nagar bus terminus where a floor is being earmarked for parking,” he said.
An MTC official said most of the termini located in the city lack space to park buses after increase in the fleet strength and scheduled services over the years. “Parking space would be provided when the proposal to modernise the bus termini in the city, including T Nagar, is taken up,” the official said.
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