Improvements to health and safety at Koyambedu Bus Stand!
Posted on: 26/Jan/2023 4:16:43 PM
As an initiative to improve hygiene and safety at Koyambedu Bus terminus, battery-operated cleaning machines are to be procured.
On the safety front, the police department has proposed strengthening the premises! Regular patrols will continue after 10.00 PM.
It may be noted that the Puratchi Thalaivar Dr M.G.R. Bus Terminus in Koyambedu has become a prominent multi-modal transport hub, attracting a footfall of more than 1 lakh daily.
THE UNIQUE FEATURE OF THIS VENUE IS HAVING BOTH THE CITY AND STATE TRANSPORT SERVICES AND THE METRO TRAIN AS WELL UNDER ONE ROOF! Add the feature that the Omnibus Bus Stand is just next door! It makes the venue one of the busiest transport hubs!
The bus terminus, spread over 36 acres with a built-up space of nearly 18,000 sq. ft, is being managed by the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA).
Though the bus terminus has all essential civil amenities such as drinking water, public toilets, shops and safety amenities ( a police station on the premises), there have been regular complaints received from the commuters )
- Strangers occupying the bus terminus during the night making it unsafe especially for women!
- During the nighttime, some anti-social elements drank liquor at secluded spots in the terminus, littering the bus bay with liquor bottles.
- During the day, the bus terminus, despite the heavy crowd looked safe, but at night, people slept in the bus bays and platforms even though there were private security personnel on the premises.
Other feedback :
- A senior official of the CMDA said a lot of homeless persons and workers of the nearby vegetable markets occupied the bus terminus at night. Adding to the poor hygiene were the bus crews who reportedly urinated near the bus bays despite the availability of ample public toilet facilities free of charge, causing the bus bays to stink.
- Sources in the CMDA said since complaints were received last week, Member Secretary Anshul Mishra, accompanied by senior officials and police personnel, inspected the bus terminus and found that the main cause of the poor hygiene was due to a majority of the bus crew of the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) and the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) used the bus bays to answer their nature’s call near parked buses. The team also found that the police presence was minimal though the CMBT police station was located on the premises, the official added.
Initiatives to improve hygiene and safety :
- The bus bays will be cleaned with disinfectants to get rid of the stink, and the procurement of battery-operated cleaner machines is being planned to take up intensive cleanining.
- On the safety front, the police have proposed to increase the strength of the personnel on the premises and will post a constable at the booth inside the terminal. Regular patrolling of the premises will also be taken up after 10 p.m. to prevent strangers from occupying the bus bays.
- A senior official of the police said after the safety issue was brought to the notice, a drive was initiated over the past week under the supervision of Police Joint Commissioner (West) M. Manohar. This drive involved the posting of dedicated personnel, round-the-clock police presence, surprise inspections by senior officials and checks against gutkha and ganja.
