CHENNAI: Poor maintenance and unchecked encroachments at the Nandivaram Guduvanchery bus terminus have caused inconvenience to daily commuters. Conditions are such that it is a continuous struggle for buses which enter and exit the terminus.
This has also resulted in most of the buses stopping on the National Highway and creating traffic congestion.
Nandivaram Guduvanchery Municipality, with 30 wards, has witnessed a rapid growth in recent years, after the establishment of the Kilambakkam bus terminus.
The town also serves as a key commercial hub for more than 50 surrounding villages.
Residents depend heavily on Guduvanchery to access suburban train services and buses to Chennai, Chengalpattu and other destinations for work and education.
Until seven years ago, there was no permanent bus terminus in Guduvanchery. Buses halted along the busy Chennai-Tiruchy National Highway to pick up and drop off passengers.
This has also always led to heavy congestion on the main pathway.
Following persistent demands from residents, the State constructed a new bus terminus on two acres of government land near the National Highway for Rs 2 crore.
The facility became operational in 2019 and was handed over to the Nandivaram Guduvanchery Municipality for maintenance.
At present, over 70 government and private buses operate daily from the terminus to destinations including Tambaram, Koyambedu, Broadway, Avadi, Ambattur, Pozhichalur, T Nagar, Kottamedu, Sembakkam, Nellikuppam and Keerapakkam.
However, residents said the bus terminus is now in a neglected state, with inadequate maintenance and poor lighting at night.
More critically, access routes within the terminus have been encroached on by shops and parked vehicles, making it difficult for buses to enter, turn, and exit.
As a result, several buses travelling between Tambaram and Chengalpattu avoid entering the terminus altogether. Instead, they stop on the National Highway to pick up and drop off passengers, creating a lot of traffic.
The terminus has also reportedly turned into an unauthorised parking zone, with hundreds of two-wheelers, cars and goods vehicles occupying space meant for buses. This leaves little room for buses to park inside the facility.
When the terminus was constructed, more than 25 shops were built within the premises and leased out. Residents claim that some shopkeepers have extended beyond their allotted areas, stacking goods and effectively converting parts of the terminus into storage spaces.
Municipal officials, when contacted, said that since buses do not regularly enter the terminus, the premises remain vacant for long periods, leading to unauthorised parking.
They said representations have been made to the transport department to ensure buses use the terminus properly.
Officials also claimed that action is being initiated against shopkeepers who have encroached beyond allotted spaces and that arrangements are being made with the police to remove illegal parking.