Koyambedu bus terminus cut off

Chennai: People found it difficult to access the Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus on Saturday as a stretch of the 100-Feet Road from Koyambedu to Vadapalani, which is under water, has been blocked for traffic since Friday.
As the waist-deep water is yet to recede, people are using fishing boats to shift out of the area. All buses from southern districts were diverted in Tambaram.
They took the route via Chennai bypass and Maduravoyal instead of Ashok Nagar and Vadapalani to reach Koyambedu.
The route diversion made the trip longer and arduous. “Travelling through Maduravoyal is a difficult task due to heavy traffic and poor road conditions even during normal times. After the rain, things have turned for the worse and it took me three hours to reach Koyambedu from Tambaram,’’ said Kannadasan, a passenger who came from Villupuram on a government bus.
With the entrance to the bus terminus flooded, passengers, particularly the elderly and children, had a tough time boarding buses. Passengers from other districts going to areas like Vadapalani, Guindy, Ashok Nagar and St Thomas Mount remained stranded in Koyambedu because of the route diversion.
According to MTC drivers, buses on the Tambaram-Avadi route were operated only till Vadapalani. Similarly, Avadi-Tambaram buses were were plied only till Koyambedu. However, some buses were operated via Aminjikarai and Kodambakkam. And some Tambaram-bound buses were operated through Maduravoyal instead of Vadapalani.
“When there is a route diversion, passengers must be informed. I did not find any such system here. We cannot hire autorickshaws as drivers demand exorbitant amounts,’’ said Dhanraj, a passenger.
Many drivers of government buses suggested that mofussil buses from southern districts could have been stopped in Tambaram so that passengers could reach their destinations. As buses from other districts were running several hours behind schedule, many services were cancelled and a large number of passengers who had booked tickets in advance cancelled them. Meanwhile, residents and shopkeepers on 100-Feet Road are worried as there was no sign of water receding. With several vehicles remaining stuck on flooded roads, including 100-Feet Road, MTC drivers said they were instructed not to operate new buses as this would damage vehicles.