A State Transport Corporation bus halting on the road instead of entering the bus stand at Tiruverambur where travellers are waiting for buses. | Photo Credit: M. Srinath more-in Passengers and pedestrians in Tiruverumbur town have been put to hardship as a number of mofussil buses avoid the bus shelter and, instead, stop on the carriageway, leading to accidents. Pedestrians crossing the road become vulnerable, as mofussil buses, for the duration of halt on the main carriageway, block the view of the vehicles coming from behind. Traders in the vicinity say there is laxity on the part of the police in regulating the movement of buses. The traffic police, however, say they are doing whatever is best possible with the available manpower. Over the years, the growth in industrial townships and a plethora of educational institutions has led to increase in the density of population. Reason why the National Highways Authority of India constructed two large bus shelters on either side of the carriageway. Even otherwise, people face difficulty in crossing the roads due to the constant two-way movement of vehicles. “Crossing the Tiruverumbur road is a nightmare for pedestrians,” says Palani, a commuter. Shopkeepers say they witness passengers exposed to the risk of accidents on the road on a daily basis. “The police work only during peak hours. And in their absence, pedestrians cross the road at random disregarding road safety regulations,” a flower vendor said. M. Murugesan, a retired BHEL employee and textile shop owner, says a flyover has to be constructed to prevent the accidents and bring down vehicle congestion. Subramanian, headmaster of Mukulathoor Higher Secondary school, says road safety awareness programmes are conducted by the traffic police wing every year in the school. “But there has been many fatal accidents, and construction of a service road will help.” Shortage of manpower A traffic policeman blames lack of manpower to handle the heavy volume in traffic and pedestrian movement. As both city buses and mofussil buses have stoppages in Tiruverumbur, regulation of both vehicle and pedestrian movements is vital to prevent accidents, local residents say.

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