Passenger welfare body urges Tamil Nadu government to restore unified bus terminus

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Passenger Welfare Association has urged the State government to review the restructuring of Chennai’s long-distance bus network and restore a unified suburban bus terminus, arguing that the division of services among Kilambakkam, Madhavaram and Kuthambakkam has caused severe inconvenience to passengers.

In a representation submitted to Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Saturday, the association said that the relocation of the erstwhile Koyambedu mofussil bus terminus into three separate facilities had increased travel time, complicated connectivity and forced many commuters to rely on private vehicles. It claimed that the existing arrangement was creating difficulties not only for residents of Chennai but also for passengers travelling from neighbouring districts.

The association stated that Chennai had developed one of the country’s best public transport systems over the years and credited successive governments for expanding transport infrastructure. However, it contended that splitting the mofussil bus terminal had produced unintended consequences that could not be resolved through Metro Rail expansion alone. It called for a comprehensive review of the city’s bus operations and recommended the constitution of an expert committee to examine the issue in consultation with transport and other departments.

Tracing the evolution of bus termini, the association noted that the city’s principal mofussil terminus had shifted from Parry’s Corner to Koyambedu in 2002 to ease congestion. While that move improved connectivity, it argued that relocating services further to Kilambakkam, Madhavaram and Kuthambakkam had left many passengers without convenient transport links to the city, leading to greater dependence on private vehicles. The association urged the government to examine its proposals and take early action in the interest of lakhs of daily commuters and long-distance passengers.

Among its recommendations, the association sought the introduction of high-frequency city bus services linking all major city bus termini with the three mofussil bus terminals through wide, congestion-free corridors. It also proposed using the Chennai Bypass as a ‘Centre Ring Road’ by creating additional links with adjoining roads to facilitate faster bus movement.

The association further recommended operating more suburban bus services from Parry’s Corner to destinations within about 100 km of Chennai, including Kancheepuram, Uthiramerur, Tiruttani, Kalpakkam, Maduranthakam, Gummidipoondi and Ponneri. It also suggested expanding services from Koyambedu to Puducherry, Villupuram, Tiruvannamalai, Vellore, Chittoor and Tirupati.

To improve inter-terminal connectivity, it proposed new routes linking Kilambakkam, Madhavaram and Kuthambakkam through key city junctions such as Tambaram, Kathipara, Koyambedu, Poonamallee and Vandalur, enabling passengers to travel between the three bus terminals without multiple transfers.

The association also urged the government to restore two-way traffic on roads that had been converted into one-way stretches for Metro Rail and flyover works wherever construction had been completed. It further sought rationalisation of city bus stopping patterns by introducing distinct stop schedules for ordinary, limited-stop, express, deluxe and AC services to improve journey times.