Congestion by omni buses set to increase

There are apprehensions among the police and transport authorities that the traffic congestion surrounding the Central Bus Stand due to haphazard parking of omni buses will aggravate further now that the arm towards the bus stand from the multi-level Road Over Bridge has been opened up.

Hitherto, omni buses used to utilise the small space at the ending point of the bridge-arm towards the bus stand for parking. Omni buses will henceforth have moving space around the bus stand after 11.00 p.m. when the city buses services come to a halt.

Barring a few organised omni bus operators who have their own space for parking, the rest have nowhere else to go.

The problem is acute during late night hours outside the bus stand since omni buses bound for Chennai from destinations such as Karaikudi, Rameswaram, Dindigul and Theni have a stopover in Tiruchi.

Transport and police department officials said they have taken cognisance of omni buses halting near the bus stand for long durations to fill up every vacant seat. “But, there is nothing much we could do to rein them due to the absence of an exclusive parking lot as in other large cities. They have nowhere to go,” a senior official said.



Indiscriminate parking of omni buses around the Central Bus Stand will continue inevitably until a suitable location is found for a temporary stand for omni buses, officials of both departments say.

Omni bus operators have also been pursuing the demand for a separate bus stand with the district administration and local body authorities for long, but to no avail.

Source