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A large number of passengers thronged the Panjapur Integrated Bus Terminal in Tiruchi. | Photo Credit: M. MOORTHY

With Deepavali around the corner, authorities are discussing ways to improve facilities at the Panjapur Integrated Bus Terminus (IBT) to cater to higher passenger footfall in the run-up to the upcoming holiday break.

“We did not get the expected number of travellers during the Ayudha Puja break this year, with the IBT’s remote suburban location being a major cause. However, we are hopeful of attracting more people over the coming weeks. To prepare for the Deepavali holidays, when the commuter traffic is expected to be higher, we are planning to consult transport companies and improve our service accordingly,” a senior official of IBT’s administration team told The Hindu. “We will be installing help desks at various points to help travellers plan their journey during the festival break,” he said.

The IBT receives approximately 70,000 to one lakh passengers on weekdays. During festival period, the number increases to 1.70 lakh to two lakh people, the official said. Deepavali would see an even higher number this year, he said.

Commuters would benefit from better connectivity through special buses offering shuttle services from the other bus stands in the city, said activists. “Travellers from mofussil areas arriving at Central Bus Stand or Chathiram are often unable to find onward transport to the IBT at Panjapur. Affordable shuttle services would be a useful addition, especially during festival season,” said road safety activist P. Ayyarappan.

Private bus operators have appealed to the government to safeguard the sector and rationalise the use of no-fare buses under the Vettri Payanam scheme for women and transgender persons.

“Bus travel has been severely affected since the COVID-19 pandemic that caused a major reduction of passengers opting for shared transport. We request the government to introduce a reasonable eligibility criterion for the no-fare scheme and a bus pass system with biometric Aadhaar link in order to streamline operations. Buses in mofussil areas plying short distance routes are losing out on customers due to the new scheme,” said D.R. Dharmaraj, general secretary, Federation of Bus Operators Associations of Tamil Nadu. A total of 376 private buses operate in Tiruchi, Ariyalur, and Perambalur, of which 303 ply in the Tiruchi district alone, he said.

Officials at the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC), which operates around 500 buses in Tiruchi district, said that passenger arrangements for this year’s Deepavali festival break would be announced soon.

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