The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : More takers for extended service

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Aug 13, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

More takers for extended service

By P. Oppili

CHENNAI, AUG. 12. Six months after the mass rapid transit system (MRTS) was extended up to Tiruvanmiyur, passenger traffic has picked up considerably.

Its popularity can be gauged by the fact that the number of passengers boarding or alighting at the terminal point at Tiruvanmiyur is more than double the number in Beach, Fort, Park Town or Chintadripet stations.

Data shows that Tiruvanmiyur station tops the daily collection list in the Tirumayilai-Tiruvanmiyur section. The daily average ticket sale is about Rs. 9,500 at this station between February and June 2004, followed by Kotturpuram, where it is around Rs. 2,700. At the Kasturba Nagar and Greenways Road stations, the average daily collection is Rs. 2,200, railway authorities say. The daily average is the lowest at Indira Nagar — Rs. 1,779.

Compared to Beach, Fort, Park Town, Chintadripet, Chepauk, Triplicane and Light House stations, Tiruvanmiyur has sold more passenger and season tickets during the last six months.

However, regular users of the elevated mass public transport mode also have their list of complaints: lack of secured parking lotsfor vehicles, inadequate number of coaches and services during peak hours.

Basement parking lots

A senior railway official told The Hindu that tenders had been invited for allocating parking space at the stations between Tirumayilai and Tiruvanmiyur. The choice of contractor would be completed in a fortnight, except for Greenways Road and Indira Nagar stations. The parking lots would be at the basement along the stretch.

Commuters want more coaches

A season ticket-holder, T. Elumalai, who commutes between Tirumayilai and Tiruvanmiyur, said boarding the 9 a.m. service at Tirumayilai (leaving Beach station at 8.45 a.m.) is very difficult. He thinks the authorities should add three more coaches at least during the peak hours. Or else, shuttle services could be operated between Tiruvanmiyur-Tirumayilai and Tirumayilai-Beach stations to ease congestion.

Another commuter, A. Pandian, suggested that all the services be extended up to Tiruvanmiyur. Currently, many of the services terminate at Tirumayilai. Arguing for increasing the number of coaches, he said women and senior citizens now find it difficult to board the trains during peak hours.

However, authorities in the Chennai railway division said they were no immediate plans to increase the carriages in the MRTS services.

Problems for women

The congestion is causing problems for women proceeding to educational institutions and offices in and around Taramani and on Old Mahabalipuram Road.

They complain that young men deliberately block the doorways, travelling on the footboard. "Crowd regulation could be done by posting a more police officers during peak hours," says a woman passenger.

The problems for commuters alighting or boarding at the Kasturba Nagar, Indira Nagar and Tiruvanmiyur stations does not end with that.

Passengers want a foot overbridge constructed at the crowded stations such as Tiruvanmiyur to connect the elevated railway station and the TIDEL Park. Right now, crossing the Taramani Road during peak hour is a nightmare. Similarly, the crowded Madhya Kailas junction also requires a foot overbridge for those using the MRTS services to reach the Central Leather Research Institute (CLRI), Labour Institute or Science City.

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