THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With no shade or shelter to hide from the scorching sun the commuters in the city are having a harrowing time because of the ongoing heatstroke alert. Hundreds of commuters are forced to wait under the burning sun even during the noon hours despite the advisory from the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA).The worst hit are the commuters at Thampanoor as there are no proper bus shelters.
Thampanoor councillor Jayalakshmi said that the plan to set up a new bus shelter in front of the Sreekumar Theatre near the bus terminal continues to be on hold because of an ongoing legal tussle with the theatre authorities.
"The road is maintained by the Kerala Road Fund Board. Due to a legal issue, the project to lay interlocking roads has been stalled. Also many of the KSRTC buses haven't shifted their stops inside the terminal which is adding on to the woes. There is space in front of the bus terminal for setting up a shelter which would decongest the area," said Jayalakshmi.
Another busy spot, Statue Jn also lack a proper bus shelter putting the commuters at the receiving end. "Proper bus shelters is still a distant dream. We are forced to stand in the sun. Even if there is a bus stop, buses stop elsewhere. Also many of the bus stops set up using MP and MLA funds are not maintained properly," said Anitha A, a commuter.
While the City Corporation is planning for modern bus shelters at various part of the city under the Smart City Scheme.
