Commuters struggle as busy Guindy Race Course Road bus stop has no seats, CCTV

Chennai: Despite being located at the heart of one of the city's busiest transit hubs in Guindy, commuters at the Race Course Road bus stop struggle with poor infrastructure and frequent bus bunching. People are often forced to walk some distance to board the arriving buses on the chaotic stretch.Located next to the Guindy suburban railway station and the metro station, the bus stop, managed by the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC), has no seating, only a tin shelter riddled with holes. It also lacks drinking water facility and CCTV, despite nearly 50 bus routes crossing it.The stop serves a wide mix of users, from aviation students carrying heavy backpacks to elderly women selling broomsticks and flowers. TOI saw several commuters sitting on the ground or on sharp-edged cement slabs. "Even basic seating would help," said an aviation college student.K Chitrarani, who sells broomsticks in Poonamallee, said the area is so dusty due to nearby construction that sometimes she sweeps the floor with the broomsticks she sells.Adding to the discomfort is the frequent bunching and buses halting a few metres away from the stop. During a TOI visit on Jan 3 between 1.45pm and 1.50pm, a non-peak hour, 10 buses arrived back-to-back, forcing commuters to walk nearly 100m as buses lined up. Police said the traffic due to bunching worsens during peak hours.Illumination is also an issue at night. Bus stop timekeeper A Perumal said four LED lights were installed after his request, but they often do not work in the evenings, forcing commuters to use mobile phone flashlights. MTC joint managing director and official spokesperson R Sundarapandian told TOI that the issue was not flagged earlier and said seating would be installed soon.Health and family welfare minister and Saidapet MLA Ma Subramanian, who laid the foundation stone for a new bus shelter about 300m away in Oct, said the plan was stalled due to GCC's pedestrian plaza work on Race Course Road. The existing shelter will be dismantled, and a new one with a toilet, breastfeeding room, drinking water and CCTV will be opened. "Road widening should be over in two-three months, and the new shelter should be ready by May," he said.