TNSTC plans to reschedule bus routes after the new bus stand at Panjapur becomes operational

The Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC), Kumbakonam, plans to reschedule its time and duration of various bus routes to cover the distance up to the Integrated Bus Terminus (IBT), which is scheduled to be commissioned by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on May 9.

The Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC), Kumbakonam, plans to reschedule its time and duration of various bus routes to cover the distance up to the Integrated Bus Terminus (IBT), which is scheduled to be commissioned by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on May 9.

According to sources, the TNSTC has 3,448 buses. Of them, 1,257 buses are operated as city and town buses and 1,929 are classified as long distance vehicles (mofussil buses). The number of spare buses stands at 280. Nearly one-third of the 3,448 buses are operated from Central Bus Stand in Tiruchi to various cities and towns such as Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, Thanjavur, Pudukottai, Chidambaram, Cuddalore, Perambalur, Ariyalur, Madurai, Dindigul, and Karur. There are buses to Chennai and Villupuram as well. All buses are expected to follow the new schedule once buses are operated from the newly built IBT at Panjapur on the Tiruchi-Madurai highway.

A senior official of TNSTC told The Hindu that all buses, which were being operated from Central Bus Stand in Tiruchi, would be extended to IBT. Once the new bus terminus is inaugurated, the base of the operation would be shifted to Panjapur. While the long distance buses would be operated from the basement floor, the city buses would be operated from the first of the new bus terminus.

The distance of the existing bus routes for the city buses would eventually go up by about five km. As per the new system, which was being worked by involving various stakeholders, the city buses would depart from Panjapur and ply via Tiruchi Junction and the Central Bus Stand, which would be converted into a city bus stand. No buses will skip Central Bus Stand. The buses plying between Tiruchi Junction and Srirangam, for example, will be operated between Panjapur and Srirangam.

Since the new bus terminus was located about five km from the Central Bus Stand, the official said that the covering distance of various buses would be rescheduled. It might not be possible for the buses to maintain the same number of existing trips. One or two trips might go down. However, it had been decided to cover all the existing trips by injecting new buses. It might require 20 to 25 additional buses to cover the services.

The ticket fare of both city and long-distance buses might be changed as per the distance covered. While the ticket fare for the buses between Madurai and Tiruchi might go down, the ticket fare of buses from northern cities and towns of the State might witness marginal increase, the official said.