The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Bus-stops tell Chennai’s story

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Dec 18, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Bus-stops tell Chennai’s story

J. Malarvizhi

CHENNAI: Two rupees to El Dorado, the mythical city of gold. About as much could get you to Venus or Eros, the Roman goddess and Greek god of love respectively. Or even Moksham (salvation).

The bus stops in the city, deriving their names from theatres, hospitals, schools, colleges and commercial establishments, tell Chennai’s story in fascinating ways.

It would seem that this city has flocked long and hard enough to cinema theatres to justify the naming of a number of bus stops after them. Ega, Shanti, Sun, Rohini and Nathamuni Talkies, to name but a few. Or, like Safire, the name remains, telling the history of a place.

Kalavakkam Tea Stall and Thoraipakkam Tea Shop are other bus stops that evoke another favourite pastime of the city.

Dasaprakash, the hotel, might no longer be operational, but the bus stop name remains. Ice House, once used to store ice, has bequeathed its name alone to the present.

Colleges, schools and hospitals, both public and private, are obvious landmarks that very often give their name to the nearest bus stop. Most conductors call out the ‘Baby Hospital’ stop (in Egmore) loudly well in advance for the benefit of mothers with toddlers who have to find their way to the exit with a wailing child or two in tow.

While the Shivaji statue is yet to settle into the public consciousness, the Kannagi Statue and the NSK Statue have bus stops named after them.

Some names simply exist, referencing landmarks that may or may not exist any longer. Browsing the list of ‘stages’ (or the stops that occur roughly every two kilometres) on the Metropolitan Transport Corporation website throws up Crusher, Cycle Shop, Screw Factory, Tamarind Tree, Water Tank, Traveller’s Bungalow, Fire Station, Five Lamps, Firewood Shop, Burial Ground, Camp, Mosque, Church and Convent.

The changing geography of the city can also be referred to in shorthand. When a bus terminus is shifted, the old one immediately becomes O.T., as in Ambattur O.T. and Kodungaiyur O.T. Some changes remain mysterious. The Poonamallee High Road has a ‘Toll Gate’ bus stop between Aminjikarai and Pachayappa’s College, fuelling speculation that a toll gate existed there at some point.

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