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The kind that is happy is the kind that travels within the city and has to commute at least twice a day to and from work and other places. These people feel as if the roads of Chennai had suddenly become broader. They now began to actually enjoy travelling on the arterial roads, especially Anna Salai. The Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminal, touted by the state as being Asia's biggest bus terminus, and declared open recently by Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, has been the talk of not just Chennai, but the whole of Tamil Nadu. It seems to touch the lives of Chennaivasis and the travelling public of the state. The happy ones coo like this: "It is like a perpetual bandh has been called in Chennai! The roads are free of traffic and I don't even mind the potholes on the roads," says Nagarajan, who is mostly on the roads as he is a businessman.
Driving to Parrry's Corner, Egmore, Central, Anna Salai, T Nagar and its bus terminus has never been pleasanter. These were the areas that were used regularly by government and private buses headed for south Tamil Nadu. "Amma has done a great service to Chennai. The roads are so free and there are no traffic jams. And look at the Koyambedu bus terminus: Aranmana madiri irukku (It looks like a palace)," exclaimed an enthusiastic autorickshaw driver. "All that is fine, but think of the autos who depended on 'savaris' (customers) at the drop points of the mofussil buses along Anna Salai. They have been badly hit. Now they are shifting from Guindy, Teynampet and Saidapet to other areas," grumbled another auto driver.
Forget those who circulate within Chennai. The worst-hit are those who live in Chennai but work outside, in some of the towns nearby. There are people who travel everyday to the Chengalpattu and Kancheepuram areas for work. They come from some of the interior places of Chennai (this is relative because now Royapettah is an interior area in relation to Koyambedu). People who used to board buses at Teynampet, Saidapet and Guindy to these towns now have to travel all the way to Koyambedu or board at some of the points along the route like Kathipara and Ashok Nagar.
So much for planning and coordination. "What can we do? Even if the Transport Department gives us a route, we have to ultimately listen to the policeman on the road," explains another driver. People coming to Chennai from the nearby towns also feel harassed. The trip to Koyambedu is shorter and costs much less. But if they reach Koyambedu in one hour, 45 minutes from Kancheepuram, it takes them one hour, 30 minutes to reach Parry's, which is where they do most of their shopping! They are scratching their heads and wondering how a journey that took them just two hours now takes them more than three hours.
S Amarnath, who works in the government college in Krishnagiri, travels to Chennai every weekend to be with his family. Now he is wringing his hands in despair because he lives near Foreshore Estate and has to come all the way to Koyambedu to board a Bangalore-bound bus. "Earlier, I used to jump into a Parry's-bound bus and simply walk across to the mofussil bus stand and board a bus to Krishnagiri. Now I am wondering how I am going to reach Koyambedu. A private travel company at Central has said it would take me by van - for free - to Koyambedu to catch its bus. But I must be in Central an hour ahead of the bus time. So, if I want to catch the 10.30 p.m. bus, I have to leave my house at 8.30 p.m. at least. That is going to add two more hours to my already tedious travel time. Oh, God," he moans. Amarnath is looking at ways to travel by train to avoid all these hassles. See what I mean? Koyambedu decides whether you are a happy or sad person. S Chitra Related links: http://chennaionline.com/cityfeature/koyembedu1.asp http://chennaionline.com/cityfeature/terminus.asp http://chennaionline.com/cityfeature/koyembedu.asp
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Copyright
2010, Chennai Interactive
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There are two kinds of people in Chennai now: One kind that is happy that the mofussil buses have been shifted to Koyambedu, on the city outskirts, and the other that is sad that the mofussil buses have been shifted to Koyambedu, on the city outskirts.
"I actually save 20-25 minutes during peak hours and reach office without much tension," claims R Rajagopalan, who uses a car to go from Mylapore to Anna Salai everyday.
Kulandaivelu, who drives bus route No 25G, sees nothing wonderful in the new traffic arrangement. "What has changed on the roads? I drive this bus from Anna Samadhi through Anna Salai and Vadapalani to Valasaravakkam. I still find at least 50 buses waiting at traffic lights during peak hours. We have to invariably wait for two cycles before we can cross a signal."
Even here, there seems to be some confusion because neither the drivers nor the policemen know which bus stops where. Says N Mahalakshmi, who works in Kancheepuram and travels everyday, that she was told by a policeman to wait at one spot in Ashok Nagar for the bus. She found the bus actually plying through a parallel road and so missed it. She went to that road and waited there. When the next bus arrived, she asked the conductor about this. He called out to the driver and said, "Emppa, that bus went on that road, I believe. So we should also take that road."
"All this is because people still haven't figured the right way to use the new routes. Once they know that they can get off at Tambaram and take a train to Parry's, it should be fine," reasons R Chitra, who lives in Choolaimedu. She works in Kancheepuram and is waiting for the new train route to that town. "In fact, about six of us travel from Chennai everyday to Kancheepuram. We have decided to take the train once it is introduced."
