CHENNAI: Crossing the GST Road and the railway station to reach East Tambaram is a nightmare for Madhusudhanan, a senior citizen from Mudichur. But he goes through the ordeal regularly because he has no choice. It is not just the elderly people, students and office-goers too have been facing hardship crossing the section, as the Metropolitan Transport Corporation has withdrawn its services ever since the the bridge was under construction. Irate passengers commuting between East and West Tambaram have been complaining about the issue for the past three months to the transport department authorities, said Sridhar, a resident of Madambakkam."With the local body elections nearing, it is high time that the authorities restore the bus services to the western part," said Naganathan, a regular commuter. What was planned in 1986, became a reality in 2011 and it would take a decade for people to see buses plying on the bridge, connecting the eastern parts to the city and the airport, said Bala, another angry passenger.The erstwhile 51G, B51 and 51H services connected the two Tambarams but the services were terminated on the eastern side, citing construction works. After the termination of bus services, elderly people find it hard to cross the railway station and the subway across the GST Road to reach the West Tambaram bus terminus, explained K Balu, president of SKGM Residents Welfare Association. The growing population along the Tambaram-Velachery main road was a concern for the MTC, said Balu. Residents living in the interior areas of Camp Road, Madambakkam and Vengaivasal are forced to shell out more money for autos.Reaching Tambaram in a bus during peak hours itself is a herculean task, said Rangarajan, a resident of Sudarshan Nagar. Road rokos and protests by Madambakkam residents have become a monthly affair, said retired Lt Col Sundar. Bus services were simply not proportional to the population; though people living along the main road had transport convenience, areas located off the road were facing the brunt. Mere expansion of city limits would not bring any solution until departments worked in tandem, said Sundar.According to Jagannathan of Eastend Residents Welfare association, MTC services to interior Vengaivasal and Madambakkam do not ply on time and they cite poor road conditions and low collection for the problem. There are no buses after eight in the evening and even autos are not available in certain areas, forcing people to depend on private transport.The authorities at the MTC haven’t responded to any complaints filed so far, claimed Sundar, a resident of Padmavathy Nagar. When City Express contacted the transport authorities, they declined to comment, citing the election code of conduct.
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