Kathivakkam residents walk 1.5 km as buses avoid damaged road

CHENNAI: Residents of Kathivakkam, including school kids and senior citizens, have been forced to walk over one-and-a-half kilometres to board buses as the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) services have been diverted to the Kathivakkam flyover for more than a year.

The diversion was necessitated by the poor condition of the at-grade service road, which became battered after a series of civic works, including storm water drain construction by the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC), water pipeline laying by the Metro Water board, and cable-laying by TNPDCL. The surface remains uneven and filled with potholes, discouraging MTC from resuming services.

The stretch along the flyover connects several vital facilities, including a nationalised bank, post office, railway station and a Corporation middle school, making it a key access route for students, office-goers and the general public. “Reaching even the post office or bank has become difficult. With buses taking only the flyover, we’re forced to walk almost 1.5 km to catch a bus,” lamented a senior citizen.

Residents fumed that despite repeated complaints, neither the Highways Department nor GCC had taken steps to restore the road. While GCC officials pointed out that the stretch comes under the Highways department, they confirmed that requests had been forwarded.

A senior Highways official said, “Patchwork will begin shortly based on the GCC’s request. MTC services will resume once repairs are completed.”

To expedite the works and ensure restoration of services, the CPM has announced a demonstration in Kathivakkam on Saturday.