Commercial vehicles encroach upon the space at Elango Nagar bus terminus
Bus terminus in Chennai’s Elango Nagar Officers Colony encroached upon for unauthorised parking
Commercial vehicles are encroaching upon the space at the Elango Nagar bus terminus, leading to a decrease in MTC services as well as traffic congestion in the area, residents say
The bus terminus at Elango Nagar Officers Colony, Anna Nagar Western Extension is slowly being encroached upon for unauthorised parking of commercial vehicles. This has led to a gradual decrease in MTC bus services to the terminus besides causing traffic congestion in the area, complained residents.
TVS Colony Main Road and TVS Avenue Main Road both have become very narrow due to the parking of vehicles on both sides, causing traffic congestion particularly during peak hours. Residents of Officers Colony feared that this would also lead to law and order and public health issues in the area.
V. Rajagopal, a resident of Officers Colony, said none of the commercial vehicles parked here belong to the locality. People who visit the park near the bus terminus also find it hard to park their vehicles, he said. There is also an Amma canteen near the terminus, causing the area to get very crowded. Unauthorised parking of vehicles has also led to traffic pile-ups in Officers Colony and Ambattur Estate-Thirumangalam Road junction, he said.
The road is used by residents of Padi to reach other localities such as Mogappair and Ambattur Industrial Estate.
Residents recalled that the terminus was developed by the then North Chennai MP C. Kuppuswami under the Local Area Development Fund for the erstwhile Ambattur Municipality nearly two decades ago.
S. Venkatesan, a resident of Elango Nagar, said nearly 40 bus services used to be operated to various areas, including Ice House (24 C), Thiruvanmiyur (147) and Anna Square (27 E, 40 A). MTC gradually scaled down bus services and diverted some to Mogappair JJ Nagar terminus. Now, only two services to Velachery (D70) and Broadway (7 H) are being operated from Elango Nagar bus terminus, he said. Of the small bus service, only one service is being operated to Maduravoyal via Officers Colony.
MTC cites the unauthorised parking of vehicles and lack of space as reasons for the decrease in buses, said Mr. Venkatesan.
Though the Greater Chennai Corporation and Traffic Police took measures, the problem persists. Residents want regulation of parking in the locality for park users alone. More small buses to the areas, including to Villivakkam, need to be introduced, they added.