Commuters demand that unused parking bay at Pallavaram terminus be put to use

Bus users and motorists travelling along the Chennai–GST Road corridor have raised concerns over the unused parking bay at the Pallavaram bus terminus, located on the eastern side towards Tambaram. Built around 2006, the terminus was designed for MTC buses heading to Tambaram to use an inner bay, with other services stopping at the outer bay. The system functioned only briefly, and buses now halt along the front bay adjoining GST Road.

The unused inner bay — about 25 feet wide — has slipped into neglect. Passenger seating has been encroached upon by miscreants, say commuters, who note the space has become a pocket for anti-social activity. Civic activist V. Santhanam said the bay has not been used for more than a decade. “If the authorities cannot maintain such a large structure occupying prime road space, they should convert it into a simple bus shelter to free up the congested area under the flyover near the signal,” he said. Srinivasan, an autorickshaw driver, said the traffic bottleneck affects their daily operations as well.

. Commuters demand that all buses be routed through the inner bay to prevent roadside stoppages. If that is not feasible, they suggest converting the whole area into a bus stop — similar to the arrangement at Chromepet — to facilitate smoother traffic flow, especially with the Radha Nagar subway set to open soon.

Responding to the demand, Pallavaram MLA E. Karunanidhi said renovation work, including granite seating, was under way. “Once completed, instructions will be issued to the transport authorities to appoint a timekeeper and ensure that buses enter the inner bay of the terminus,” he added.

Commuters say that although major projects are in the pipeline to ease congestion on the GST corridor, existing public-transport facilities must remain functional. With land acquisition for the Airport–Kilambakkam metro line set to begin, they hope traffic pressures will ease and not escalate further.