Chatram bus stand vendors up in arms against midnight closure of shops

Shop owners at Chatram bus stand in Trichy from where mofussil buses operate, to many neighbouring districts are locking horns with the police for not allowing them to run their establishments after 12 in the midnight. Though the vendors point out loss of income and inconvenience to the passengers, police maintain that the functioning of shops beyond midnight is banned, to ensure crime prevention.
The ban has been in vogue since 2011 when police had ordered the closure of shops functioning at the Trichy corporation building inside the Chatram bus stand prior to the assembly elections citing crime prevention. The bus stand, which is one of the two major terminals in the city after Central bus stand houses around 50 shops in the complex selling refreshments. As a consequence of the ban, the shops have been facing the heat. Meanwhile, the passengers who are waiting for buses are also deprived of refreshment during the night time.

Now, the issue has been raised by the Trichy Chathram bus stand shop associations to lift the ban on fulltime functioning of the shops. C Paramasivam, secretary of the association said that apart from night service city buses, mofussil buses to Lalgudi, Ariyalur, Jayankondam, Chidambaram, Vriddachalam, Cuddalore, Perambalur and Karur operate from this bus stand. "Following the ban in 2011, our business was affected. So, we have been facing loss of income. Moreover, the passengers are unable to have refreshments at that time. Despite repeated appeals to the police, they refused to lift the ban. Considering our suffering, they may consider allowing us to run the shops," Paramasivam told TOI.
Echoing the same view, Ve Govindarajulu, state secretary of the federation of traders associations in Tamil Nadu told TOI, "The shops in all major bus stands in Tamil Nadu are functioning 24/7. Even at Central bus stand, the shops are open always. So, the police should take our demand into consideration to allow us to run our business."
On the contrary, the Fort assistant commissioner of police (L&O) D Ramesh Babu said, "The vendors did not petition me regarding this matter in the first place. The city police commissioner has to decide on the matter. Moreover, the functioning of the shops in the bus stand in the late night paves way to free movement of the criminals. We cannot distinguish the criminals and the public if the shops are open because they can pose like passengers. Such ban is in force in many bus stands in the state like Chatram bus stand. Crime prevention is our top most priority."
An intelligence section police said, "The revellers, anti-social elements take shelter near the shops when they are open. So, it is necessary to ban the functioning of the shops in the night time."

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