Koyambedu omni bus entry fee raised from ₹150 to ₹500; owners ask Chief Minister to withdraw it

Omni bus owners have asked the Tamil Nadu government to withdraw a steep increase in the entry fee at the Koyambedu omni bus stand in Chennai, warning that the added cost could be passed on to passengers. According to Tamil media reports, the fee for each omni bus is to rise from ₹150 to ₹500 for a 24-hour period.

What is changing

• Old fee: ₹150 per omni bus for 24 hours.
• New fee: ₹500 per omni bus for the same 24 hours, a rise of ₹350.
• Increase: about 233 per cent, according to the owners’ association (one report also cites 223 per cent elsewhere in its text).
• Monthly cost per bus: from about ₹4,500 to ₹15,000, or ₹10,500 more, the association says.
• Start date: 15 October, according to Daily Thanthi and News7 Tamil.

The Dinamalar report says only that the fee applies from the 15th of the month, while the Tamil Oneindia report describes it as taking effect on the 15th of the coming month. The reports were published on 9 and 10 October.

The stand, known as the Koyambedu Chennai Contract Carriage Bus Terminus, is controlled by the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA), according to Daily Thanthi, News7 Tamil and Tamil Oneindia. Dinamalar says the CMDA maintains it and notes that it covers 6.75 acres and has operated since 2003. None of the reports names an individual official who announced the hike, and the owners say they were not consulted.

Owners write to the Chief Minister

The All Omni Bus Owners’ Association, whose president is named as Anbazhagan in Dinamalar and Tamil Oneindia, has written to Chief Minister Vijay. The association said it supports reasonable fees that fund upkeep and development, but not such a sharp rise at once.

Its demands, as reported by Daily Thanthi and News7 Tamil, are:

• Suspend the ₹500 fee immediately and continue collecting ₹150 until the hike is reviewed.
• Have CMDA officials consult association representatives and fix a reasonable fee.
• Collect the fee through FASTag and improve toilets, drinking water, lighting, cleanliness, security and parking.
• Allot the unused CMDA Koyambedu bus terminus to omni buses, temporarily or permanently.

The association says the current terminus can park only about 150 of the more than 1,000 omni buses that operate from Koyambedu.

Possible effect on fares

The owners say they already bear high costs for fuel, road tax, insurance, tolls and maintenance. Tamil Oneindia reports that the association puts daily operating cost at about ₹26,700 per bus, with occupancy of 50 to 60 per cent on weekdays, and estimates the extra ₹350 would cut daily profit by about 10 per cent.

The association warns that higher entry fees are ultimately passed on to passengers, particularly during festivals and weekends, when fares rise sharply. The reports do not say whether any operator has announced a fare increase.

Tamil Oneindia also reports that many omni buses are shifting from Koyambedu to the Kilambakkam and Madhavaram terminals. The government has not been quoted in the reports reviewed in response to the owners’ letter.

Sources: Daily Thanthi, News7 Tamil, Dinamalar, Tamil Oneindia.