Unscientific location of bus shelters irks motorists

Curse the stop, not the bus! Unscientific location of bus shelters irks motorists
Vijay Times

Bangalore: Picture this. As you keep driving along to reach the main road, a BMTC bus suddenly blocks your way . The bus halts at a stop to allow commuters to board and alight. And this goes on...

This is a common complaint of motorists driving through intersections. No wonder , motorists curse BMTC drivers - for blocking road by parking buses in a haphazard manner at bus stops.

The BMTC, however , pleads helplessness saying the location of bus shelters are decided in consultation with the BMP and the T raffic Police.

"The role of the BMTC is to provide buses. The location of stops and shelters are decided by BMP and cleared by the police," explains Dastagir Sherieff, Chief T raffic Manager (Operations), when questioned about the unscientific location of bus shelters.

In the last six months, we have shifted more than 40 bus stops in coordination with BMP and police across the City . W e are willing to change the location of any stop that obstructs traffic.

BMTC officials add the jurisdictional police will inform BMTC if traffic is getting obstructed near bus stops, after which the transport body will take steps to shift them. But is this assurance enough to calm down motorists? No , says Prof M N Srihari, chairman, T raffic Engineers and Safety T rainers ( TEST). He told Vijay Times the Indian Road Congress rules clearly states bus stops should be located at least 75 metres from an intersection or a road.

But this is not followed by any civic body . A possible solution is to construct bus-bays. This will put an end to the menace and allow more buses to park at stops.

"Again, 60 per cent of roads in the City are not designed to accommodate bus-bays," Sreehari rues.

Suggesting that BMP and BDA earmark space for constructing busbays in the new layouts, Prof Srihari adds the responsibility also lies with BMTC to instruct its drivers to follow lane discipline and ensure bus stops only at designated bus stops and not elsewhere. More ’Sarathy’ mobile squads must be deployed to conduct surprise checks, he suggests.

DCP T raffic (East) M A Saleem adds action will be taken against any BMTC driver found blocking the road near bus shelters.