Residents face hardships as Gummidipoondi bus depot project remains non-starter for 12 years Premium

Residents face hardships as Gummidipoondi bus depot project remains non-starter for 12 years

The Gummidipoondi bus depot project, announced in the Tamil Nadu Assembly under Rule 110 in 2013 by then Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, continues to remain a non-starter, causing significant hardships to residents of the area.

The project involves acquiring over four acres of land in Pethikuppam village, Gummidipoondi taluk, in Thiruvallur district, located along the front face of National Highway 16.

“The absence of a dedicated bus depot has created challenges for daily commuters, affecting the livelihoods and well-being of our community members,” said S. Suresh Babu, president of the Billakuppam Village Welfare Association. “The lack of a proper facility has not only reduced public transport efficiency but also increased travel time and passenger inconvenience,” he added.

Gummidipoondi has its own bus stand located in the middle of the town, in a densely populated area. However, the frequency of local bus services to Chennai is lower than required. Moreover, long-distance buses stop on the National Highway, which is about one and a half kilometers away from the bus stand, causing inconvenience to the public.

K. Munirathinam, a CPI(M) party functionary from the town, said, “We are not well connected to the city, the district headquarters Thiruvallur, or nearby areas. One has to walk one and half kilometers from the town or take another vehicle catch long-distance buses on the National Highway. Most such long-distance buses do not come into the town.”

He added that over 10,000 workers are employed at the SIPCOT near Gummidipoondi and most of them hail from other districts. Like locals, they are also facing difficulty commuting from the town.

“We have a bus stand inside the town, which connects it to several panchayats in and around the area. People from 61 panchayats use the bus stand as a connecting point. At present, the bus stand does not have a shelter for passengers to protect them from the scorching sun or the rains during monsoons. There are no bus bays either. It lacks basic amenities,” complained M. Kannan, a resident of Gummidipoondi.