Chennai: OMR residents push for mini buses, better last-mile connectivity

CHENNAI: The Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) is examining a survey report submitted by the Federation of OMR Residents Association (FOMRRA), highlighting the severe shortage of bus services along the highly congested Rajiv Gandhi Salai (OMR), Chennai’s IT corridor.

FOMRRA office-bearers recently met MTC Managing Director T Prabhushankar and handed over the report titled ‘Improving Mass Transportation and Enhancing Last-Mile Connectivity for Residents Around OMR’, as reported by The Hindu.

The study notes that only 45 out of the 730 bus routes operated by MTC across the city cover the IT corridor, just 6% of the total, despite the area being home to hundreds of software companies, educational institutions, and a rapidly growing residential population.

FOMRRA’s study highlights poor last-mile connectivity in interior areas like Sholinganallur, Thoraipakkam, Semmancheri, Siruseri, Egattur, Thalambur, Kelambakkam, Navalur, Kazhipattur, and Padur, with growing urgency as metro work on OMR picks up pace.

Residents of Sholinganallur recommended that mini buses be operated during peak hours, from 7 am to 11 am and 3 pm to 8 pm, at 30-minute intervals, to help locals, including domestic workers, reach metro stations and nearby areas.

T Arul, a resident of Thalambur, said there is no public transport from Sakthi Nagar to nearby Navalur. As a result, residents have to spend Rs 300 to Rs 400 per trip to reach the main road, he noted.

Meanwhile, a senior MTC official told The Hindu a pilot mini-bus service will be launched soon and that they were awaiting finalisation of mini-bus operations by private players. He noted that buses already run from OMR to major destinations like Broadway, Tambaram, Velachery, Koyambedu, and the Secretariat.