A view of Commuters boarding a MTC Bus parked at Medavakkam Main Road in Sholinganallur bus stand on Tuesday.
| Photo Credit: B. VELANKANNI RAJ
The Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) is examining the survey report submitted by Federation of OMR Residents Association (FOMRRA) regarding the shortage of bus services on the highly-congested information technology (IT) corridor. The office bearers of FOMRRA recently met the MTC Managing Director T. Prabhushankar and handed over the report titled ‘Improving mass transportation and enhancing last-mile connectivity for residents around OMR’.
A senior official of the MTC said very soon a pilot project for a new mini bus service will be launched. He added that bus services to major destinations – Broadway, Tambaram, Velachery, Koyambedu, and Secretariat, from Rajiv Gandhi Salai were already available. He said even the newly-launched bus service (route MAA2) which was initially operated from Chennai Airport to Akkarai, has been shifted to Siruseri to serve more commuters on the IT corridor. Regarding the complaint of last mile connectivity from the interior areas the MTC official said they are waiting for mini bus services of the private operators which have been planned in the extended areas including Sholinganallur and Thoraipakkam, to be finalised..
The Rajiv Gandhi Salai today is not only an IT corridor housing hundreds of software companies but also has several educational institutions, commercial establishments and multi-storey apartments in interior parts. In the FOMRRA study, various members of the residents welfare associations highlight the absence of any public transport for last mile connectivity from the interior parts of several areas of Sholinganallur, Thoraipakkam, Semmancheri, Siruseri, Egattur, Thalambur, Kelambakkam, Navalur, Kazhipattur and Padur. The study pointed out that the IT corridor has only 45 routes out of the total of 730 bus routes operated by MTC throughout the city which shows coverage of only 6% of the routes on Rajiv Gandhi Salai. Now that the metro train work is also in full pace on the IT corridor the residents want last mile connectivity to be bridged at the earliest.
As far as the residents in Sholinganallur area comprising Kumarasamy Nagar, Elcot Avenue, Classic Farms and Model School Road Extension were concerned the mini bus users will be mainly residents who will use it to reach metro railway stations and nearby places, housekeeping staff of residential apartment complexes and domestic help. Mini buses need to be operated at least during peak hours from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. with services to be available at half hour gaps.
A.Sivakumar, a resident of Prestige apartment in Sholinganallur, said the locality houses not only software companies but several multi storey apartments located within two-kilometre radius of the main road. He said in his apartment alone where 2,000 families reside, residents and visitors find it hard to reach the main road to access the bus facility as the interior areas do not have any share autos plying. He said that with Rajiv Gandhi Salai becoming a business hub bus facilities should he provided to major hubs including Egmore, Porur and Poonamallee.
Similarly in Thalambur residents complained of absence of any bus facility to reach interior areas. T. Arul, a resident of Thalambur, said there is no internal public transportation from Sakthi Nagar, Thalambur to reach Navalur. Residents to reach the Thalambur main road have to spend anywhere from ₹300 to ₹400 per trip.
The study also pinpoints the need for having more bus routes, update the existing bus routes in all the bus stops, creating awareness about the MTC digital services for purchasing tickets and introducing electric low-floor buses across the IT corridor.
Published – June 18, 2025 01:11 am IST