Cheran Managar residents missing the bus

Coimbatore: Students of government schools at Cheran Managar walk along the busy Vilankurichi Road, dodging speeding vehicles, to reach their homes, due to lack of buses.
G Velmurugan, a Class VIII student, said he waited at the Cheran Managar bus stop for one hour after school. “As no bus was in sight, I started walking with my friends. Our studies get affected due to the tiring walk in the evening. When we reach home, we would be too tired to read anything,” he told TOI.
The students are forced to walk four to five kilometres due lack of bus connectivity from Cheran Managar to Kalapatti.
According to residents of Kalapatti, Vilankurichi and Cheran Managar, thousands of people are affected due to lack of connectivity, particularly in the evening,
V Pachaiammal, a resident, said the number of buses came down after the Covid-19 lockdown. “We used to get a bus once in 30 minutes, but now have to wait for more than an hour to get one. Authorities should take steps to increase the frequency at least in the morning and evening hours as it can address the difficulty faced by school children and workers,” she said. “I spend 20 on share autorickshaws to reach Cheran Managar from Hopes, which is 7km away. But there is no share auto from Cheran Managar to other places.”
As many as 16 buses connected Cheran Managar to other places before Covid-19, but their number has come down to just seven, said Kovai Babu Selvakumar, councillor of ward 22. “Connections to places such as Kovaipudur, Singanallur, Perur, Sundakamuthur and Maruthamalai via Gandhipuram were stopped. Frequency of buses to Gandhipuram and Vellaikinar has come down. All the stopped bus connections should be restored.”
An official with the commercial department of the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation blamed it on lack of patronage. “We would introduce new services only if there is a demand,” he said.