Buses block residents' lives

Buses block residents' lives

BMTC's 'occupation' also raises stink in lanes as sultanpalya has no bus terminal

Sudipa Chakraborty. Bangalore



As a force of habit, residents of Sultanpalya cover their nose and look at their walls and vehicles when they come out of their homes.
They have been silently suffering the stench of urine and the sight of smashed walls and cars ever since BMTC buses began occupying their 30-ft lanes as a 24x7 parking zone. For BMTC's drivers, their walls served as urinals.
During any emergency, the residents cannot let in an ambulance because of the chock-a-block situation outside.
Although Sultanpalya, located close to RT Nagar, is well served by BMTC buses, it does not have a bus terminus for the last ten years.
Last year, 32-year-old Naveen Ramachandran, a resident, suffered a fracture in his right leg. To reach the nearest hospital, the family had to wait for an hour till the BMTC buses cleared their lane.
"We felt helpless," Naveen said.
When 78-year-old Kanaka Shetty's grandson was infected with a viral fever last month, they had to walk up to the main road to get into the ambulance.
"The driver did not find enough space to navigate through the road. So he parked it on the main road," said Shetty.
Shankar Poti, president of Sultanpalya Resident Welfare Association, said, "The plight of residents is pathetic. Parked BMTC buses in the middle of a residential area pose a nightmare for the residents. Our repeated pleas to BMTC and Traffic police have yielded no results."
"My car was knocked down twice by these buses. It is difficult for the big BMTC buses to navigate through these narrow lanes," said Ramachandra Reddy, another resident.
"I am tired of repairing my walls. We need a permanent bus terminus," said R Pillai, a
resident.
"The stench of urine is unbearable. The entire area stinks. The area around the walls is infested with mosquitoes too. After repeated requests to the BBMP, I have finally decided to put wires around my guard wall," said R Ramachandran, another resident.
Lady conductors are finding it difficult to answer nature's call.
"When we have the urge, we request the residents to allow us to use their urinals," one of them said.
Imtiaz, a BMTC driver said, "We want a bus terminus in the area. The lanes are too narrow. It becomes too difficult for us to manoeuvre the bus. Besides, there are no urinals too