Route violations choke roads around Trichy Central Bus Stand

Trichy: Several mofussil buses arriving in Trichy from western districts are bypassing the designated route via the District Collectorate and instead taking a shorter but congested stretch to reach the Central Bus Stand, worsening traffic and inconveniencing passengers.Passengers and activists said the practice deprives commuters of direct access to key locations such as the district collectorate and forces them to alight at points farther away. “As the buses from western districts are taking a shorter route, many passengers who want to alight at the Collectorate are denied a direct drop. They are forced to get down near the Major Saravanan Roundabout. All buses should pass via the Collectorate,” said N Saravanan, an activist from Thuraiyur.As per the prescribed route, buses travelling from Chathiram Bus Stand to Central Bus Stand should proceed through Major M Saravanan Memorial Roundabout, Major Saravanan Road, the District Collectorate and ESI Hospital, before entering the bus terminus through T B Hospital Road. The route stretches about 2km.However, many buses are opting for a shorter 750m route from the roundabout through Old Royal Road and Kauvery Hospital to reach the front entrance of the Central Bus Stand.

The stretch is already heavily used by ambulances and other vehicles, leading to frequent congestion.The deviation is most common among mofussil services from western districts such as Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Erode and Karur, particularly buses operated by the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation’s Coimbatore division.Traffic volume on the shorter route has also increased after buses operating between Cuddalore and Trichy were shifted from Chathiram Bus Stand to the Panjapur Integrated Bus Terminus.

These services now pass through the Central Bus Stand en route to Panjapur.“We have directed the mofussil buses operating in TNSTC’s Kumbakonam Division and Trichy Region to pass via the Collectorate. However, buses from other divisions cannot be compelled to take the longer route,” a TNSTC official in Trichy said.