Daily life has become a significant challenge for the residents of Pattabiram in Chennai, as the area grapples with a severe and persistent public transport crisis. The locality's poor bus connectivity is forcing more than a thousand daily commuters to seek unreliable and often unsafe alternatives, such as overcrowded suburban trains or riding triple on bikes.
A Terminus Running on Empty: Drastic Route Cuts
Officials at the Pattabiram bus terminus revealed a stark picture of underutilization. Despite witnessing heavy footfall from commuters, the terminus currently operates only a skeletal service of four routes. These are the 40-A and 40-H to Anna Square, the F-70 to Guindy Industrial Estate, and the 54-C to Poonamallee. The facility itself remains largely empty, as passengers often find it more practical to board buses near the Pattabiram police station instead. For those heading to Avadi, the situation is worse, requiring a nearly one-kilometer walk just to reach the nearest bus stop.
Commuters Voice Frustration Over Lost Services and Infrastructure Gaps
Local activists and commuters highlight a dramatic decline in services compared to pre-pandemic times. A. Roy Rozario, founder and general secretary of People's Voice Pattabiram, stated that before Covid-19, at least seven bus routes originated from the depot. "Direct buses to Tambaram, Broadway, and Adyar have all been stopped," he said. He also pointed out that while officials claim buses to Anna Nagar run hourly, commuters often wait for nearly two hours. The infrastructure is equally problematic. The 54-C buses struggle to enter the depot due to the lack of a proper roundabout from the Chennai-Tiruvallur High (CTH) Road, forcing them to make dangerous U-turns on the congested highway.
T. Sadagopan, president of the Tamil Nadu Progressive Consumer Centre, echoed these concerns, criticizing the absence of proper bus shelters and digital display boards showing bus timings on CTH Road. He noted that traffic clogs the road during peak hours, especially near the new bus terminus at JAK City. "Initially, there were many buses connecting Pattabiram to Porur, Velachery, and Guindy, but now all have been terminated," he lamented. With limited share auto services, people are left with little choice but to resort to risky practices like riding three on a bike.
Official Response: Awaiting Permissions and Blaming Traffic
When approached for comment, Sundar Rajan, the manager of the Avadi bus depot, cited procedural and logistical hurdles. He explained that reintroducing the terminated bus services requires permission from the Metropolitan Transport Corporation's (MTC) planning department. He also attributed the chronic lateness of existing buses to the severe traffic spike on CTH Road, a primary artery for these services. This explanation offers little solace to the thousands of residents whose daily work and life are disrupted by the inadequate public transport system in their locality.
