TN govt claims mini-bus scheme a success, but Madipakkam residents beg to differ

CHENNAI: The recent expansion of private mini-buses in Chennai aims to improve last-mile connectivity in underserved areas. But in Madipakkam, a locality with high commuter demand and limited public transport access, it is yet to make a visible impact.

After waiting for more than an hour on a weekday morning at Eachangadu Junction, one of the points covered in the newly launched private mini-bus route, this reporter could not spot a single mini-bus.

The story was the same at the other end of the route, Adambakkam railway station. Nearby shopkeepers said they had not seen any private buses, indicating either a lack of frequency or irregular service.

While one private mini-bus was spotted passing through the junction en route to Medavakkam via Kovilambakkam, it neither stopped at the designated halt nor carried passengers.

"There is no road in the Madipakkam, Medavakkam circle. Metro works have made it impossible for buses to come here. We rely mostly on government run mini-buses and share auto. This one private bus in one route will never serve the purpose," said V Subramani, president of the Traffic - Transportation Forum. He also wondered how buses can be operated at a fare of Rs 4 to Rs 10.

The situation is similar along the Kaiveli Bridge–Madipakkam Koot Road stretch. "There are only a handful of buses, which is not enough to meet the crowd. During peak hours, we have no option but to take share autos," said Saranya, a college student who travels daily from Kaiveli. Regular commuters echoed similar concerns, adding that they were unaware of any new private mini-bus service on their routes.

According to the State Transport Department, the new private mini-buses are intended to cover areas that currently lack Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) services. Of the 72 proposed routes in the city, 11 were made operational in the first phase, with each having one bus to start with. The routes were supposed to be planned in a way that at least 65 per cent of the stretch falls in zones without government buses.

However, in areas like Madipakkam, which do not have adequate government bus connectivity to begin with, the service has not yet addressed the demand.

Madipakkam and surrounding neighbourhoods such as Kaiveli and Eachangadu have high foot traffic, dug up roads, and a growing population dependent on public transport. As the larger MTC bus services have long skipped these interior pockets, residents had hoped the new private services would fill the gap.

But the current pace of the rollout, with one bus per route to begin with, has left regular commuters underwhelmed.

In contrast, other routes, like the one connecting Lamech School in Valasaravakkam to Meenakshi Hospital in Maduravoyal, already see coverage by existing government mini-buses. Commuters there noted that MTC's S31 bus already serves the same stretch, raising concerns about overlaps.

Subramani suggested that without designated stops that connect to important terminals, increase in frequency and feedback mechanisms, the scheme may not serve its intended purpose.