Chennai has long had a tradition of public transport usage, with commuters having the choice of the suburban railway network, Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) buses operating in the city and the Metro Rail for their daily transit. Despite the government introducing new services recently, especially electric buses, private vehicles numbers have soared and bus ridership has gone down considerably. Last mile connectivity issues, poor coverage in certain areas and the inability of the government to encourage residents to use public transport are major impediments. In fact, private vehicles make up 65 per cent of all motorised transport in the Chennai Metropolitan Area.
At one end of this imbalance are residents resettled into housing board tenements, which are concentrated in far-flung areas. Women, especially, have difficulty accessing safe, reliable bus or metro networks as few routes connect directly to these localities.
This video follows Saraswathi*, a housekeeping worker whose daily commute reflects the struggles of many people living in Chennai’s resettlement areas. To reach work by 9.30 am at Anna University, she leaves home before 8 am, changing multiple buses. What was once a 15-minute walk from her home in Kotturpuram has become a journey of nearly two hours. The struggles are compunded during the return journey.
Watch this video to understand the urgent need for reliable and affordable public transport to the city’s suburbs and far-flung areas and what must be done to ensure commuters are well-connected.
*Name changed to protect identity