Tamil Nadu - Chennai   

Big screens flicker into life at bus terminals

By Our Staff Reporter

CHENNAI, JUNE 9. The Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) has installed television sets at select bus terminals to announce the arrival/departure of buses, diversion of services and information on breakdown of services.

Twelve sets each have been installed at the Anna Nagar, Ayanavaram, Perambur, Saidapet, Tiruvanmiyur, T. Nagar, Tollgate, Vadapalani, Vallalar Nagar and Velacheri bus stations.

Under a three-year agreement with a private firm for installing the TV sets, MTC will be paid Rs. 1.2 lakhs per month for the first year for the 10 centres. During the second and third years, an additional 20 per cent will be paid, said MTC officials.

Nearly 80 per cent of the screen space will be used for advertisements, while the rest will display bus schedules in the form of scroll down messages.

Prior approval has to be obtained from MTC for all displays/commercials appearing on the set.

Commuters at the T. Nagar terminus, however, said visibility of the scroll messages was poor.

Bigger and bolder messages would be better, they said.

They also wanted authorities to install this facility at all major terminals as no proper announcement system was in place.

When two buses bound for the same destination are stationed in the bus bay, one does not know which bus leaves first. It is tougher for senior citizens, as they find it difficult to change buses.

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