Even as the government announced the introduction of 6,000 new buses since it assumed power, it has raised huge anticipation among the residents in the remote areas of Chennai and its suburbs, besides among the rural pockets of the state, which still lack mobility. They are hopeful that the long delayed connectivity problem would be solved soon.

The steady rise in private vehicles in the city and state is a clear indication of the failure to meet the increasing demand for public transportation.

At a time when the ambitious metro rail and monorail projects are lining up, hundreds of residents in a few parts of the city and suburbs still depend only on their own vehicles or shell out at least Rs 70 for autos to reach a nearby bus stop or rail station.

While the number of buses has increased by 20 per cent over the last seven years, the number of passengers has escalated by over 40 per cent, clearly indicating the gap between buses and passengers.

Even as the main areas like T. Nagar, Adyar and K.K. nagar are well-connected, places including Kolathur, Red hills, Madhavaram, Manali, Ennore and those abutting Ambattur, Avadi, Nanganallur, Tambaram and several places situated on the OMR and ECR are not well-connected to all parts of the city.

MTC in Chennai (430 sq km) caters to 57 lakh passengers per day through its fleet strength of 3,600 buses, whereas Bengaluru (741 sq km) has a strong fleet of 6,100, while Hyderabad (621 km) has 4,100 buses. “MTC has to increase its frequency in areas that need buses.

The mini-buses scheme put on hold should be operated as feeder services to the interior parts of the locality,” says Mr Raghavan of Nanganallur.

Experts suggest that the authorities should come up with identification of new routes that are yet to be covered and be given first preference, besides regularising vehicle services to remote places in the urban areas and villages that are partially covered.

They also suggest that all the transport corporations in the state commission a comprehensive route rationalisation study, which would enable them to identify the uncovered routes and number of buses required in the existing routes.

Very close, yet very far for suburbs

For Kalaichelvi, a class 6 student and resident of Karunakaracheri village, in Sriperumbudur taluk, just 40 km from metropolitan Chennai, reaching her school is a tiresome task as she has to walk 10 km daily to the nearby government high school and back.

Despite its proximity to the state capital, where multi-crore projects such as metro rail and monorail transport system are coming up, the village is one among several hundred villages that still do not have proper roads or bus connectivity.

“Though we live very close to Chennai, we do not have bus connectivity —a dream— for several decades now. I went to school by bicycle and my daughter has to walk a long distance, as there is no high school in our village.

The government should take note of villages like ours and provide bus connectivity so that we can also enjoy the benefits of growth as a citizen of this country,” points out her father Kishtan, a cultivator.

For pursuing college education, aspiring graduates have to endure an agonising travel either to Tambaram, which is 25 km away, or Kancheepuram, that is 60 km away, which makes them literally tired and less competent, adds a dejected Kishtan.

Now that the government has announced it would roll out thousands of new buses by this year-end, we are hopeful of seeing at least one bus plying through our dusty village road, he adds optimistically.
This is not an isolated case.

Over a hundred villages in the state are deprived of bus connectivity till date. The expected arrival of new buses has the residents of these areas in anticipation and they are hopeful that the government would provide bus connectivity at least in the near future.