Bus Station Watch 7: Yeshwantpur

Mad scramble at stinking bus stand, always

A bus stand that caters to more than one lakh passengers every day but one that does not have toilets, drinking water and proper shelters.
Deccan Herald

For a bus terminal catering to a passenger strength of nearly one lakh and handling as many as 1,169 trips every day, one would at least expect basic amenities like drinking water, clean toilets, proper lighting and information on bus routes to be available for the passengers.

However, Yeshwanthpur bus station, the main bus terminal for the residents of North Bangalore, has somehow managed to cater to the transportation needs of passengers sans any of these amenities.

Of course, passengers are put to severe hardship. Three dilapidated semi-arcs serve as platforms and provide little shelter from the sun and rain. There are no bus bays.

In fact, there is no space between the platforms for the buses to align as they are expected to. Buses are parked haphazardly as per the whims and fancies of the drivers.

Lack of enquiry counters and name boards specifying bus routes add to the confusion and chaos. Passengers, especially those who are new to the city, have to depend on drivers and conductors to guide them to board the right bus. The stench from the nearby toilet is all pervading. Drinking water facility is non-existent.

To top it all, by entering the bus station you may actually miss the bus that you have been waiting to board. For, buses from Laggere and Peenya plying towards Kempe Gowda bus station, K R Market, Shivajinagar and other sought after destinations race past the station on the busy Tumkur Road without stopping at the terminal. Passengers tempted by the sight of the sometimes near-empty buses risk their life and limb while making a mad rush to board them. The traffic signal at the busy Yeshwanthpur Circle has become a sort of makeshift bus stand. A large crowd is always seen waiting for buses to stop at the traffic signal. There is a mad scramble with people hopping in and out every time a bus stops.

COMMUTER CALLING

Syed Zafar: Two permanent counters, one for enquiry and other for issuing bus passes should be set up immediately. Parking facilities should be provided for the public who would prefer to leave their private vehicles at the terminal and board buses for further destinations.

Harish D: More buses should ply from the bus terminal during peak hours especially between 7 am and 10:30 am and also between 4 pm and 7:30 pm. BMTC buses are meant for public service and they should not be hired to private firms during peak hours.

Ranjeeth Singh: An enquiry counter should be set up immediately. There is also an urgent need for displaying boards specifying bus routes and numbers both in Kannada and English.

Gouse Basha: Commuters mainly want their buses to come on time, bus stand should be clean and decent and there should be basic amenities like drinking water and toilets.

Devaraj: The bus station does not even have proper seating facilities. However, there is a a lot of scope for improvement. The bus station needs be modernised. There is enough space to construct a bus terminal on the lines of the Shivajinagar.


BMTC RESPONSE

V Nagaraj, BMTC Assistant Traffic Manager

* Boards displaying bus numbers and routes will soon be put up at the Yeshwanthpur bus station.
* Measures will be taken to keep the toilet clean. If need be, a proposal to construct Nirmala Toilet will be placed before the authorities concerned.
* Instructions will be issued to drivers of bus passing enroute Yeshwanthpur bus station to stop at the Terminal.