Chennai
The bus shelter located at ICF Kambar Arangam is in a dilapidated condition and many have stopped using the facility over the mounting safety concern.
Due to the lack of timely maintenance, the steel rods are giving away, making the waiting time a tad tough for travellers.
This roadside bus shelter lacks passenger information board and proper seating and lighting arrangement for the convenience of commuters.
Barring a few good ones with decent rooftop, flooring and seating arrangements, most shelters present an ugly picture and are not passenger-friendly.
A regular commuter, S Sundar, from Ambattur Industrial Estate, said, “Whether it is monsoon or summer, this shelter has never served its purpose. The other problem is that buses halt right in the middle of the road here, creating traffic jams. Why can’t the MTC construct bus bays at places where the road is wide? With many buses halting one after another, there would be a huge traffic block.”
Commuters lament that it is incongruent to the ambitious Intelligent Transport System (ITS) being introduced on a trial basis.
Another commuter, Shruthi S of Perambur, said, “The shelter is surrounded by dirt. Missing seat slabs are common. As there is no display of bus timings, almost all commuters are forced to stand on the road to spot an approaching bus. At times, the passengers take shelter under the roadside trees and shops.”
In the absence of toilet facility, people use the rear side of the bus shelter to urinate. Unable to bear the bad stench, commuters stand away from the shelters.
Pallavi M, an employee of a Private firm, said, “Setting up of e-toilets next to bus stands would help to resolve this issue.”
An authority from the MTC said, “We are in the process of modernisation of bus shelters in a phased manner. In the first phase, around 300 shelters will be identified under this project. It is expected to be introduced in the near future.”
Visit news.dtnext.in to explore our interactive epaper!
Download the DT Next app for more exciting features!
Click here for iOS
Click here for Android