Commuters find no shelter from summer sun

Commuters find no shelter from summer sun
SUCHITH KIDIYOOR


It’s a harsh summer for bus commuters. Lack of bus shelters in the city is forcing them to wait in the scorching sun. A staggering 2,387 bus stops are minus their shelters. And even if Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) recommends their provision, unavailability of space and opposition by shopkeepers and building owners are holding the plans to ransom. Best of all, some shelters have been built where no buses stop.
LACK OF SPACE
A major obstacle in the construction of bus-shelters is the lack of space. As a Bruhat Bangalore Mahangara Palike (BBMP) official says, “BMTC, helped by the traffic police, identifies the spot for a busshelter. It is the BBMP which acts on the recommendations. However, increasingly we are faced with a shortage of space to do so. Even if we find the space, nearby shopkeepers or neighbourhood building owners oppose the construction for commercial reasons. In other areas, vested interests bring in political pressure.”
Another stumbling block is the privatisation of bus shelter construction. In its bid to lessen the shortfall in busshelters, the BBMP has been awarding contracts to private contractors. The plan however seems to have backfired.
The official adds, “Currently, there are 353 bus shelters in the city. We have cleared tenders for 624 another on a fiveyear Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) basis. Under this scheme, the civic body will not be spending any money on the shelters, the constructors will have to bear the cost but they also can avail of advertisement rights. By doing this, BBMP earns Rs 28,000 as revenue each year.” As per the standard fixed by the BBMP, the constructor should have space of 300 square feet for a single shelter. Till now three contractors have been awarded the contracts. But its another story unfolding on ground. Many of these busshelters have been constructed where there are no designated bus-stops or keeping in mind advertising value rather than commuter comfort.
SHADE DOESN’T MATTER
Says Manoj Kumar, a regular user of the city’s public bus service, “As private parties are involved, very often bus shelters are built where they would earn more advertising revenue than give us shade to stand under. Like the bus-stop on Rajkumar Road in Rajajinagar. It’s close to a public men’s toilet and is close to a traffic signal, making it not just uncomfortable especially for women to stand there but also dangerous because of the rush of vehicles.” Bus shelters at Nrupatunga second bus bay, Resident Road opposite to St Joseph College, Museum Road opposite to SBI and Hunesemara bus stop between Binni Mill and Majestic have no buses stopping there but there are shelters.
Reacting to this, a BBMP official says, “These allegations are baseless. BBMP officials inspect shelters during their construction. We ensure that each and every shelter benefits the public.” In 2007, there were 1,020 bus stops without shelters. By 2008 the numbers climbed upto 2,387. As of today, 3,370 city pick-up point make do with just way-side shelters (with simple roofing).