Madurai, which connects most of the southern districts, is being visited by thousands of people every day for various purposes through different modes of transport. 

Buses, being one of the most affordable and accessible modes of transport, would be the most preferred transport for the public. 

In this situation, bus stands are considered important to be taken care of for the comfort of passengers and their travel. 

Madurai city, which accommodates three important bus terminuses – M.G.R. bus stand at Mattuthavani, Arapalayam bus stand and Periyar bus stand, boasts about handling tens of thousands of passengers every single day. 

Arapalayam bus stand is meant for buses bound for places northwest of Madurai such as Salem, Erode, Tirupur and Coimbatore, and west (Theni, Cumbum, Bodi, Kumily, etc.).

The MGR bus terminus serves numerous places in north (Tiruchi, Thanjavur, Puddukottai), east (Sivaganga and Ramanathapuram) and the whole south (Virudhunagar, Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli, Tenkasi and Kanniyakumari districts).  

Periyar bus stand, from where all buses originated once, now serves as the city bus terminus.  

Despite several renovation works being carried out in all these three bus stands under various projects over the years, lack of basic facilities is still a never-ending issue for passengers. 

According to official records, Arapalayam bus stand, where 1,200 inter-district buses are operated, sees a footfall of at least 40,000 to 50,000 passengers a day.   

Though the wastewater stagnation along platforms was resolved during the recent renovation works carried out in the bus terminus, the stagnation of drainage water at the toilets was not rectified.  

C.U. Pandi, a shop owner, said that the sewage water from the shops and toilets which gets deposited in an open collection point releases a foul smell. 

A Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation bus driver said that as the buses entering and leaving the terminus were not regulated and monitored, it was always a situation of chaos inside the area.  

“It is very difficult to enter our buses and park them for some time to take a break or board passengers,” he added.  

More drinking water facilities are also needed as the existing facilities are either defunct or damaged. Encroachments by shops on the platform are also yet another inconvenience, said ward 58 councillor M. Jeyaram. 

Though the possibility of an expansion or relocation of Arapalayam bus terminus was ruled out by corporation officials, the buses scheduled an hour after their arrival could be parked on the Vaigai bank road to prevent congestion at the bus stand, Mr. Jeyaram added. 

Even after the face-lifting works which were carried out in Periyar bus stand, the basic amenities like passengers’ shelter were missing. 

As the space at the shelters was disproportionate to the volume of passengers, many tended to stand out under the sun. 

M. Kani, a college student, who was waiting for bus, said that though the shelter had space to accommodate more people, buses while boarding passengers halt at places opposite the shelters.  

“So, to get seats in buses, people had to rush inside the buses. If they stand away from where the bus stands, they will have to make a standing journey on that day. So to avoid that, they do not mind even standing under the sun,” he added. 

At the M.G.R. bus stand, issues like insufficient lighting, poor sanitation, overcharging at public toilets, and unclean environments among others persist for a very long time.  

A TNSTC bus conductor, who did not want to be named, said that the entrance area which was earlier parked with bikes was now closed on either way to prevent vehicles to be parked there. 

“The iron grills which are placed alternatively are hard for the passengers to get through the obstacle carrying their luggage,” he added.  

Many carried heavy bags, trolleys, and boxes among others. Since the way is very narrow, manoeuvring through the obstacle was a hefty task, the conductor observed.  

Also, some of the redundant structures and spaces on the bus stand premises could either be rectified or removed from the area.  

“The space for park which is blocking the entrance could be removed since it serves no purpose. Since the space is not properly maintained, it looks shabby. As all sides of the park are covered with banners and information boards, the entrance of the bus stand is not visible,” he added.  

Similarly, other structures like water fountain, weighing machines, cloth bag dispenser machines, which were out of use, could be removed or repaired, he noted.  

A senior corporation official said that ₹15.5 crore was allocated for carrying out several renovations at the bus terminus.  

“The facilities enhancement will give improved bus bays, two-wheeler parking zone, dedicated feeding room for mothers, upgraded restrooms and ceiling fans among others to the bus stand,” the official added.  

As ₹1.75 crore was spent on renovation works a year ago, most of the facilities were improved already, but the improved funding could be utilised more to address the basic facilities, the official noted.