The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Big, busy and bothersome Law & order

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Saturday, Jul 05, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Big, busy and bothersome Law & order

Mattuthavani bus stand is beset with so many problems, writes L. Srikrishna

On Friday, a conductor preferred a complaint with the Anna Nagar police that 40 bundles of tickets valued at Rs. 70,500 and Rs. 2, 000 in cash were found missing from his bus, parked in a bay at the Maatuthavani Integrated Bus Stand. Many frequent visitors to the bus stand say that this is only a tip of the iceberg.

Last week, an aged woman bound for Thanjavur lost her suitcase after she fell prey to a trickster. According to the woman, the youth told her the bus she was sitting in would not leave at once and helped her shift to another bus “that will depart in 10 minutes.” Since the trickster smelt valuables in her suitcase (gold weighing about seven sovereigns, he gave her the slip with the baggage.

The sprawling bus stand was opened a decade ago to cater to a burgeoning population of people and vehicles. But, ineffective safeguards encourage offenders to target the gullible.

In front of the authorised shops let out by the Corporation, many wayside shops and vendors have set up makeshift shops. This is forcing passengers to use the space earmarked for buses to move around within the bays, said S. Ramkumar, a medical company executive, who regularly uses the bus stand.

It is all the more difficult in the evenings, a lecturer, said: “I travel by bus to my college near Aruppukottai. While returning, I used to see youths teasing girls near bus bays.” As the police demand written complaint for initiating action, on many occasions the victims prefer to walk away, she said.

Worse outside

If it is bad inside, the situation is worse outside. Traffic is chaotic, especially, during evenings and holidays. Many private omnibuses line up outside the bus stand causing hindrance to smooth flow of traffic. Though policemen do regulate the traffic, the broad roads tempt two-wheeler riders and other motorists to go realfast when traffic is thin. Last week, a man working in a tea stall opposite the bus stand was crushed to death when he was trapped inside the wheels of a speeding lorry along with his two-wheeler. It is another matter that he was not wearing a helmet. The traffic came to a standstill for a long time.

A transport corporation employee said that box with lock and key should be provided in long distance buses for the conductors to keep cash and tickets safely. And motorists want the barricades in front of the wholesale flower market to be dispensed with. Though they had been erected to thwart rash driving, they result in freak accidents.

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