Tamil Nadu: Commuters suffer as few evening buses to Tiruvallur

CHENNAI: Poor frequency of direct buses to Tiruvallur from CMBT during peak hours has resulted in severe crowding on the buses. Commuters from the neighbouring have complained that there is not a single direct MTC bus for nearly three hours in the evening, putting office-goers in misery.
Thousands of private employees, traders and daily wagers from Tiruvallur largely depend on bus number 153A to CMBT to reach workplaces in the city and to head back home. One has to rush from their office to catch the 5.25pm bus from CMBT to Tiruvallur, failing which they have to wait till 8.25pm for the next direct bus home.
Raghavendra Bhat, a resident-activist from Tiruvallur, said the services run late in the mornings too. “MTC buses that ply from Tiruvallur have to reach the district from depots in Chennai, so many arrive late. People travelling for work are unable to reach offices on time,” said Bhat.
Similarly, there is no direct bus from Poonamallee to Tiruvallur between 7pm and 7.45pm, said K Baskar, a transportation activist from Tiruvallur.
Lack of services has led to crowding in the available buses with nil possibility of physical distancing. Passengers also travel on footboard which is a risk in itself, Baskar added.
When asked about the grievance, MTC said delays were inevitable on such longdistance routes. Six buses are operated on route 153A but they reach the destinations late due to traffic, said a senior official. He agreed to improve the bus frequency on the said route.
Bhat stressed the need for a separate MTC bus depot and a central bus stand at Tiruvallur district headquarters, from where there are buses to even neighbouring states.