The old bus terminus on Old Jail Road in Mint has been restored with basic facilities, which include steel shelters, bus bays, concrete flooring, lighting and a seating arrangement for commuters.
Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) carried out the restoration of the terminus during the lockdown months, honouring the terms of an agreement with Greater Chennai Corporation. CMRL had acquired land from the terminus for the construction of a Metro Rail station.
Following the restoration, a limited number of bus services are being operated mainly to Broadway, Central railway station, Egmore, Perambur and T. Nagar as feeder services to ensure last-mile connectivity for train commuters at the adjacent Metro Rail station.
“Having a full-time time-keeper, and providing adequate information about the bus services being operated from the terminus would further help train commuters from the Metro Rail station board buses comfortably at the facility,” says S. Pooja, a commuter from Royapuram.
Currently, on an average, 540 trips are being made by 96 buses that are operated from the temporary terminus located near the Basin Bridge junction every day, providing crucial connectivity for many people from Mint and adjoining areas like Seven Wells, George Town, Basin Bridge and Old Washermenpet to reach other parts of the city via Broadway and Central railway station.
Some of these bus services are now being operated from the renovated bus terminus near the Metro rail Station on Old Jail Road.
The Mint bus terminus, which was named after the first mint was operated by the British in the 19th century, and it was transport hub as services to remote parts of the northern region of Chennai were operated.
Temporary terminus
When the old bus terminus became non-functional due to Metro Rail work, residents of interior parts of the northern region were able to reach the central parts of Chennai via Mint by boarding buses from the temporary terminus. This facility however lacked amenities.
Set on an open space near the Basin Bridge junction, the temporary terminus lacks shelters, water taps, toilets, lighting or schedule boards.
Due to the lack of shelters, many commuters prefer to wait for buses in front of a Corporation school, which is located opposite the terminus. The lone public toilet, which is an eyesore, is situated a few hundred metres from the terminus.
At night, the temporary terminus is dark as the old sodium vapour street lights do not provide sufficient lighting.
Waste including construction debris is dumped on the vacant plot between the terminus and the flyover. Due to the lack of proper toilet facilities, there is open urination.
A majority of the buses operated from the temporary terminus were sent to MKB Nagar and Broadway terminuses to ensure their safety.
Many commuters believe the renovated old terminus has the potential to serve them better. With the rise in the usage of Metro Rail services, more train commuters would board buses from the renovated old terminus.
“Steps will be taken to operate more bus services from the renovated old bus terminus at Mint soon,” says a Corporation official.