More than seven months have gone since the district administration announced that heavy vehicles and the point to point service buses from Tiruchi to Thanjavur would only be allowed on Panjapur-Thuvakudi Bypass. However, commuters complain that the direction has hardly been enforced.
With the intersection at Palpannai on Chennai-Tiruchi-Madurai National Highway witnessing frequent traffic snarls right through the day and the Tiruchi-Thanjavur Highway from Gandhi Market to Thuvakudi often facing traffic congestion, the district administration barred the operation of heavy vehicles and all the point-to- point buses to Thanjavur on Gandhi Market-Thuvakudi section during day time from January 1. They were asked to operate via Panjapur-Thuvakudi Bypass from January 1.
To enforce the direction, the police put up barricades at Thuvakudi on Tiruchi-Thanjavur Highway so as to allow buses and heavy vehicles to use Thuvakudi-Panjapur Bypass. The crew members of the buses adhered to the direction in the beginning. However, it is alleged that except for some, several buses had resorted to operate via Palpannai and Kattur. Similarly, heavy vehicles also operate via Palpannai.
According to sources, the bus crew members prefer to operate via the old route to load passengers at Kattur and Thiruverumbur. However, motorists feel that the traffic congestion at Palpannai has returned to the old level. They have been facing a harrowing time during their daily commute due to the worsening traffic congestion at Palpannai Junction in the city. The intersection has been literally bursting at its seams as traffic pile ups were becoming lengthier, on either sides of the Tiruchi- Thanjavur NH and the service lane leading to the junction from Apollo Hospital.
“We find most buses between Tiruchi and Thanjavur and the heavy vehicles are only operated via Palpannai. The intersection faces severe traffic congestion. It seems no one bothers to follow the announcement on traffic diversion. The Panjapur-Thuvakudi Bypass remains under utilised,” says K.C. Neelamegam, an activist based in Tiruchi.
He said that there was a need for operation of city buses from different areas of Tiruchi to the Integrated Bus Stand at Panjapur to enable the passengers to catch buses to their destinations. The existing buses were insufficient. The district administration should study the issue in detail. It should address the issue of traffic congestion at Palpannai and running sufficient buses to Panjapur.
Published – August 12, 2026 10:18 pm IST
