Stench, chaos greet passengers at Railway Station

Stench, chaos greet passengers

The Hindu

City railway station compares poorly with the Kempe Gowda Bus Stand


BANGALORE: Heaps of luggage, confused passengers, unclear announcements of arrival or departure of trains, and chaos. Welcome to the Bangalore City Railway Station.

Thousands of people visit the station every day. A majority of them escort passengers to the train. Each of these escorts has to buy a platform ticket of Rs. 3. Funds raised through the sale of these tickets are supposed to go towards the upkeep of the station.

In contrast to this, the Kempe Gowda Bus Station, a stone's throw away from the railway station, is much more cleaner and there is a semblance of order. No entrance fee is charged at the bus stand. Poor infrastructure is glaring at the city railway station.

It all begins at Platform 1, which acts more as a dumping yard. Platforms 6 to 10 do not have toilets. This is shocking considering the number of senior citizens travelling by trains.

Says Fathima, a software professional: "All hell breaks loose when it rains because the roofing does not provide adequate shelter. To make matters worse, piles of parcels are left on the platforms for long hours blocking the way for passengers."

The heavy slabs laid to cover drains along the tracks hinder cleaning and have become a breeding ground for mosquitoes.

The place stinks, says a businessman.

"The railways should make rules relating to cleanliness and hygiene of the place as many foreigners visit the station," he says.

The three new booking counters (for trains towards Mumbai and Mysore), though a blessing, are insufficient especially during peak hours. "Reservation boards are never on display on the platforms. This only leads to speculation about confirmation of RAC and wait-listed passengers," says Keshav, a retired Army officer.

Bus stand

Things are much better in the Kempe Gowda Bus Stand. Venkateshwar Reddy, Division Head of the Kempe Gowda Bus Stand, says: "There are 2,200 Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) buses plying daily within the State, 600 from Tamil Nadu, 200 from Andhra Pradesh, 30 from Kerala, two from Goa and two from Maharashtra. During holidays and weekends, there are 400 extra buses."

"The 300 capacity executive lounge is outsourced and no fee is charged. The 400-chair seating room is a boon for the passengers and this is besides the 27 rooms with attached bathroom facility. Acid cleaning is done once in two days, and phenyl cleaning every two to three hours. A minimal Re. 1 is charged for its use," he said.

About the drinking water facilities, he said there are four pipes with two taps each. "Cleanliness is a prime factor and it is ensured that eight people work on a single shift to clean the 23-acre area. And this is besides the 50 dustbins that are placed everywhere."

The enquiry centres for foreign tourists are managed by call centre staff.

The Tourism Department counter helps foreign tourists check on package tours and places to visit. If there is a delay, alternative arrangements are made, he added.