Tamil Nadu - Coimbatore   

City in dire need of better public transport facilities

A. A. Michael Raj

Special services during peak hours and extended timings for buses are needed

AN ORDEAL: Running special buses during peak hours can reduce present levels of congestion in the city. - PHOTO: S. SIVA SARAVANAN

Coimbatore: Special buses to clear the peak hour rush and extended timings for public transportation within urban limits will help avoid vehicular congestion and make travelling easier for the public.

These were two of the main suggestions that were part of a charter of demands for better transport facilities, submitted to the Transport Department by Citizens Voice Club, represented by C.M. Jeyaraam, vice-president, S.S. Ramakrishnan, secretary and Isaac Samathanam, joint secretary, here recently.

"Peak hour special buses are needed from Coimbatore Railway Junction and Gandhipuram to NGGO Colony, Kavundempalayam, Saibaba Colony, Perur, Kovaipudur, Vellalore, Podanur, Chettipalayam and Kalapatti," Mr. Jeyaraam told The Hindu .

Double-deckers

Double-deckers and trailer buses that could carry a large number of passengers at a time could be tried out on the straight stretches of the wider arterial roads.

He said that the authorities could also consider running public transport buses for two more hours a day, to reduce the dependence of the public on autorickshaws that tended to charge high fares late at night and early in the morning.

Extra fares could be collected from passengers on these early morning and late night specials.

In cities such as Salem, night bus services operated at regular intervals throughout the night, bringing in additional revenue and saving passengers from being fleeced by autos and taxis.

Another suggestion of the consumer club was that the bus routes should be fixed so that vehicles did not deviate or take alternate routes, leaving waiting passengers in the lurch.

If the fare list was not prominently displayed inside buses, there were chances for newcomers to the city - especially tourists - being overcharged. Share autos could be permitted to ply in the Southern portion of the city, where more than 60 per cent of the urban population lived.

The consumer club also pointed out that first aid kits in many buses were in poor condition, with disinfectants and bandages for use in case of accidents and other emergencies, missing from the box.

Loud stereo music that the crew played in some buses sometimes became a source of irritation for travellers.

In some buses, the lower edge of the footboard was too high, causing many passengers to struggle to board buses or alight from them.

Footboard steps that were of uneven height were hazardous because they could cause passengers to stumble and lose their footing.

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