Roofless bus stop irks Tiruvottiyur residents
Tenders floated, floor works have commenced, says civic body official
Public wait under roofless bus stop in Jothi Nagar
CHENNAI: With Chennai city reeling under about 100 degrees Fahrenheit, there is no respite for commuters who wait for buses. While Chennai Corporation has floated tenders to improve city infrastructure, existing shelters in the several pockets of the city lack roofs.
A visit by DT Next revealed that Jothi Nagar, Mullai Nagar, Murugan Nagar, and Gandhi Nagar in Ward 4 in the Tiruvottiyur zone either do not have bus shelters or exist with damaged shelters that fail to serve any purpose. The local bus commuters expressed concern over the roofless and damaged bus shelters that cause major inconvenience to several hundred people in the face of the scorching sun.
Ward 4 CPM councillor Jayaram told DT Next, the Jothi Nagar bus stop is a prominent place and the neighbourhoods such as Sadayankuppam, VP Nagar and Sakthi Nagar are densely populated and most of them depend on government bus facilities. Several stretches that connect Tiruvottiyur with Ennore and Broadway need more bus shelters, added the councillor.
Tenders have been floated for the construction of bus shelters. The Jyothi Nagar bus stop roof was damaged during last year's northeast monsoon and officials have not taken any measures to replace or repair the roof of the bus stop.
“The City Corporation had failed to make note of the damaged bus shelters and the senior citizens and children boarding the bus are affected during the heatwave,” said Munusamy, a load man. “I am used to coming and taking a rest under the roof of the bus stop for a few minutes. But with the surging temperature, I am forced to rest under the heat. Officegoers and women are the ones who are affected badly.”
When DT Next contacted, a Chennai Corporation official stated, “Tenders have been floated and funds have been sanctioned for the repair and replacement of roof cover and side roof works. We have initiated floor works at a few bus stops, and as per the announcements by the civic body, lights, and stainless steel hand railings will be installed at these bus stops.”
