Chennai: In a major infrastructure lapse by Greater Chennai Corporation, prominent localities in the city are deprived of bus shelters, thus leaving hundreds of regular commuters at the mercy of the sun. Ironically, the officials also pay a blind eye to anti-social elements, even though the lapses are forcing commuters to switch to private modes of transportation.
Deccan Chronicle finds out the lapse in three arterial localities – Vadapalani, Koyambedu and Guindy – and takes into the account of commuter pleas.
No shelter at Vadapalani for two years
An existing shelter, a few yards away from Vadapalani signal serves no purpose as the bus stop has been shifted closer to the signal, after the inauguration of the metro. This has made the bus shelter here, a hub for miscreants who deliberately smoke, consume alcohol and litter around.
Rahman and his family were spotted at the once-used bus stop and staring at every bus that crossed the stop, without making a stop. When a passerby informed him that it is no more a stopping, he began lamenting. “There could be a hoarding to inform the change in the bus stop along with the reason. We are not seeking authorities to apologise, but a prior information is a must,” he told DC.
In a smart move, an intimation board stating about the shift is erected between the old and new stops, creating confusion to commuters. It is a long wait for the commuters, as the buses come late against the scheduled time, courtesy the traffic in the locality.
A corporation official from Kodambakkam zone said that the shelter was taken out during metro rail construction, almost two years ago.
Commuters at Koyambedu face the heat
Unconcern for the commuters’ plights has not spared Koyambedu, which is thronged by thousands of commuters each day. People are left to take shelter under the metro rail bridge. Reason: Absence of a shelter.
A commuter, A. Kumar, who was struggling to find a shady spot grieved, “As buses do not stop at the allotted stop which has a shelter, commuters are left in a
spot.”
The shelterless bus stop is chaotic, as share autos wait there for pick-up; Government mofussil buses use the road and private mofussil buses come here from the market road.
Much-needed shelter at Guindy
A bus stop right before the Kathipara junction on MKN Road has no shelter and the commuters face similar problems. Buses plying from Race Course Road to GST Road and Jawaharlal Nehru Road make a stop here, making this an important stop to connect South Chennai.
An official from the bus route road department of the corporation said, “Revisions were made during the metro rail construction. We are awaiting a No Objection Certificate from metro rail authorities, which is the nodal agency for the infrastructure surrounding the radius of 500 meters around the rail project.”
