Chennai: Only 36% of the city population has access to frequent bus connectivity and are staying within a five-minute walk to the nearest bus stop, according to a latest study by the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP), which has recommended Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) to introduce additional routes, more buses, and feeder services to improve the last-mile connectivity.The NGO, which carried out the study by juxtaposing the city population with the existing MTC operational area, has identified seven localities — Ambattur, Sholinganallur, Kolathur, Perambur, Villivakkam, Maduravoyal and Anna Nagar — as priority areas where MTC has to improve operations. These areas have more interior residential pockets that are not connected by public transport. If a person has to walk more than 800m to catch a bus or use other public transport, they might prefer a personal vehicle or look for other modes of commute. So, MTC should introduce small buses to cover these areas,” said J Sivasubramaniam, deputy director, ITDP.Currently, MTC operates 687 bus routes across Chennai, catering to 31.27 lakh passengers, accounting for 72.4% of overall ridership, followed by the suburban rail network with 9 lakh (20.8%) and the metro rail with 2.91 lakh (6.8%) passengers. While 61% of city’s population can access at least one public transport mode within walking distance, 46% have access to high-frequency transport corridors. Metro accessibility is projected to rise from 9.5% to 23% with the completion of Phase II.MTC officials said they will focus on these identified areas and introduce small buses soon. “We have floated tenders for 520 small and mini buses. The 220 mini buses will be exclusively deployed to improve first and last mile connectivity to metro train stations, while the 300 small buses will be deployed in the seven areas to create access to the nearby bus stops,” said an MTC official.
