Citizens, school and college students complain that they are suffering from a lack of adequate bus facilities in six villages in Perambalur district in Tamil Nadu, to go to work and schools and colleges. The villages of Bommanapadi, Chettikulam, Mavilangai, Thotiyapatti, and Thenur are located in Alathur block in Perambalur district. Hundreds of school students from these villages are studying in schools and colleges in Perambalur and Puthanampatti in Trichy district on the border of Perambalur. Similarly, people travel daily to Puthanampatti and Perambalur for essential needs and work.
In this situation, there is only one government bus plying from Perambalur to Thenur via Chettikulam in the morning and evening. But since no other bus is available after this, students and people are forced to travel on the footboards of the buses. Apart from this, there are no bus facilities from Perambalur to Puthanampatti. Thus, people and students are forced to walk or take two-wheelers.
Following this, the commuters complained to the Perambalur bus depot demanding additional bus facilities from Perambalur to Puthanampatti. But no action was taken.
What do the daily commuters have to say?
Speaking to The New Indian Express, R Vishal from Chettikulam who is studying BCA (Bachelor's of Computer Applications) third year, in a government college in Puthanampatti said, "Twenty students including me, residing in five villages are studying in this college but since there were not enough bus facilities to the college, we went on two-wheelers for more than two years. Now we have been travelling by this bus for the past six months as the college bus facility has been established but sometimes the college ends in the afternoon and there is no bus for us to reach home. So a bus facility should be provided from Perambalur to Putnampatti."
V Kaliyamoorthy, a resident from Thenur said, "We have to go to Puthanampatti for essential needs including hospitals, medical and work. Due to the lack of bus facilities, we have to walk or ride a bicycle there. We are severely affected by this. Even for emergencies, there is not enough transport facility including autorickshaw."
Another resident S Sekar from Mavilangai said, "As there are not enough bus facilities to Perambalur, we have to board the overcrowded bus with no other option. If we miss this bus, we have to walk or ride a two-wheeler. This is not always possible for us."
When contacted, an official from Perambalur bus depot told The New Indian Express, "Due to lack of driver, conductor, we cannot provide bus facility on the new route. However, I will look into this issue."
