Vacant space retrieved near Trichy’s Chathiram bus terminus

Trichy: Trichy corporation and police retrieved a vacant underutilized space near the Kamarajar statue in Chathiram bus terminus on Tuesday and used the space to park buses and allow buses take U-turns.

Some tourist vans permanently parked on a portion of College Road and adjoining vacant spaces were relocated to ensure hassle free movement of vehicles around the terminus.The retrieved space near the statue was used to park Ariyalur buses that had been halted on Chennai Trunk Road. Besides, buses instead of taking U-turns around the Chathiram overhead water tank, a congested zone, were directed to use the retrieved space.“Though TNSTC is reluctant to shift mofussil buses from Chathiram bus stand to Panjapur KKBT, the space retrieved and made available for buses on Tuesday has brought some respite,” a traffic police officer said. Police have installed barricades, where Karur and Coimbatore-bound buses halt temporarily, to streamline pick-up of passengers. Partitions are expected to prevent buses from choking the movement of other vehicles trailing them.

“Tourist vans parked on a portion of College Road opposite the Kamarajar statue were vacated. The space is free now, vehicles heading to Kalaignar Arivalayam and Karur Bypass Road can access at ease,” a corporation official said.The changes have come after district collector Pratik Tayal convened a review meeting last week with corporation, police, TNSTC, and state highways department officials to discuss solutions for the traffic bottlenecks at Chathiram bus stand. The meeting was convened after TOI published a report on June 9.