Trichy’s peak-hour traffic speed drops to 11-20 kmphPoor bus stop placement worsens traffic congestionTwo-wheelers preferred due to costly autosFootpaths missing on 31% of road network.Subhashree from Ponmalai Patti works at a computer services company near Trichy's Central Bus Stand, a crucial hub connecting surrounding areas. She is fortunate to live and work close to the bus stop, minimising her commute on foot. Yet, the state of public transportation in her city is a source of constant frustration. She often faces long wait times after 5:30pm, sometimes of an hour or more, despite both government and private bus services operating in the city.In contrast, Vijay, a 21-year-old student from Thiruverumbur, has a different experience. His father drops him off daily, eliminating his need to walk to a bus stop. Buses on his route are frequent, running every 10 minutes. He generally expressed satisfaction with public transport, though he notes traffic congestion at a particular spot and overcrowding after 6pm, which he attributes to the office rush.The duo’s experiences highlight the public transportation challenges in Tiruchirappalli or Trichy, the fourth-largest city in Tamil Nadu. According to the Comprehensive Mobility Plan (CMP), the city’s bus fleet comprises 587 buses, including 147 private and 440 government city buses. The latter are managed by the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation Ltd (TNSTC), a government-owned public transport bus operator. “According to the urban fleet specification of 50 buses per 100,000 population, the city's bus fleet is deficient by 145 buses,” stated the Net-Zero Climate Resilient City Action Plan. “We have private buses and they often take more passengers than the desired limit. Overall, Trichy does not have adequate buses,” Shyam Sundar, member, Trichy Intra-City Development Endeavours, told Down To Earth (DTE). He emphasised a particular lack of buses connecting peripheral regions to the city, citing the absence of routes to places like Kajamalai, where Bharathidasan University is located, and infrequent buses from Thuvakudi to the Central Bus Stand. Further, by 2027, 22 government and seven private fleet vehicles need replacement, and an additional 108 government buses will be required, according to CMP.Similar to Chennai, Trichy residents favour private vehicles. Two-wheelers account for 41 per cent of total trips, followed by public transport (22 per cent), cars (15 per cent) and walking (11 per cent), according to CMP data. Annual two-wheeler registrations are the highest, with 15,000-18,000 occurring yearly, showed Trichy’s 2021 action plan for air pollution. Vehicle share in Trichy.This increased motorisation contributes to an average car journey speed of 26 kilometres per hour, higher than Chennai’s 17 kmph. However, during peak hours, the average speed in Trichy can drop to 11-20 kmph across nearly 50 per cent of the total road network. CMP identifies congestion as the cause of delay on 67 per cent of roads, while bus stops contribute to delays on 12 per cent of roads.Trichy has three intra-city bus terminals: Central Bus Stand, Chathiram Bus Stand and Srirangam Bus Stand. Many bus stops, according to CMP, are located too close to intersections, which is not ideal for traffic flow.Parking is another significant issue, with the city lacking a formal parking policy. A city corporation document highlighted severe congestion due to parking on Big Bazaar Street, West Boulevard Street, Gandhi Market, Central Bus Stand and Chathiram Bus Stand. “Congestion is a major problem in the core town of Trichy around the Fort area. It is not planned. It is difficult to ride a two-wheeler in the area,” said Vijay Chandran, the City Health Officer at Tiruchirappalli City Corporation.Sudarshan, a 58-year-old resident who owns a provision shop on Big Bazaar Street, complained about lax enforcement, with vehicles continuing to park on roads despite available parking facilities. "I have owned this shop for over 40 years. Earlier, the market was walkable and cycle-friendly. Now, everyone has two-wheelers,” he told DTE. .How India moves: Chennai bus riders face long wait times, overcrowding as city’s bus fleet meet only half of the demand.K Lochana, a 49-year-old homemaker, frequently visits the market on her two-wheeler from KK Nagar, 11 km away. “We have a bus stop, but buses are not frequent and do not come at the time I need. Two-wheelers are convenient,” she said, despite government buses being free for women. Subhashree alleged that some bus conductors are unhappy with the free bus service for women, claiming, “They mistreat us,” she said.With autos being unaffordable, two-wheelers become the next best option. Manikandan, a shopkeeper near the New Market, frequently visits Gandhi Market for buying vegetables. “My shop is 7 km away; an auto ride would cost me Rs 250, while I spend only Rs 100 on petrol charges for my two-wheeler,” he explained.The city is also not pedestrian-friendly. According to CMP, 31 per cent of the city’s road network lacks footpaths. Sudarshan said there is no footpath connecting his residence to his shop, 1 km away, forcing pedestrians to be cautious due to speeding motor vehicles. Manikandan shared these concerns as well.Sundar opined that the city’s inability to increase its bus fleet stems from the absence of a localised transportation department. TNSTC is headquartered in Kumbakonam, nearly 100 km away. "We do not get the attention that we need. Our demands for better mobility are not fulfilled as a result," he said. The Kumbakonam division of TNSTC manages six places: Kumbakonam, Trichy, Karur, Pudukottai, Karaikudi and Nagapattinam.Annual average PM10 in Trichy.Fouling the airTrichy has been identified as a non-attainment city for Particulate Matter (PM10) under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) launched by the Union government in 2019. Like Chennai, road dust and vehicular emissions are top sources of air pollution.Between 2016 to 2023, the city’s annual average PM10 concentration exceeded the National Ambient Air Quality Standards limit of 60 microgrammes per cubic metre by almost 50 per cent in three of those years. According to a study by IIT Madras, combustion of vehicle fuel and biomass (53 per cent) was the main contributor, followed by mineral dust, containing silica due to the re-suspension of dust present in roads, and industries and other sources (12 per cent). The city’s air pollution issue is not new. A 2009 paper published in the journal Nature Environment and Pollution Technology found that the highest concentrations of suspended particular matter (SPM) and sulfur dioxide were recorded at Palakarai (a common congestion point as reported to DTE by residents), while the highest nitrous oxide levels were found at Chathiram bus stand. The report also highlighted that automobiles contribute 40-80 per cent to the total air pollution in the city..How India moves: More personal vehicles, shortage of buses add to Chennai’s traffic woes, air pollution .“The high levels of SPM were due to slow movement of large number of vehicles. As vehicles move slowly, they emit more smoke. The existing poor road conditions might have increased the emissions from automobiles. The quality of ambient air within the Tiruchirappalli city has been deteriorated mainly due to uncontrolled emission of pollutants by motorised traffic, and poorly maintained and congested roads with heavy traffic,” the paper read. These issues are relevant even today. “Houses in commercial areas and the core suffer the most,” Chandran explained. He, however, added that cases of asthma, breathing difficulties and wheezing linked to air pollution have gone down due to increasing awareness among people and they seek help in time. “We are not seeing more complicated cases,” he adds. MA Aleem, a neurologist at ABC hospitals, explained that walking in crowded places increases exposure to pollutants. People could develop giddiness, tiredness and feel nauseated. Long-term issues include stroke, heart attack and long-term respiratory conditions. Epileptic patients could feel suffocated in crowded places, he added.This is the first part of the series on Trichy, exploring the city’s mobility and its link with air pollution. The articles are part of our series on how India moves, which looks at the relationship between air quality and human mobility in cities and towns. .Read air quality stories in Hindi