Karnataka - Bangalore   

BBMP nonchalant to passenger discomfort

BANGALORE: Reeling under the blazing sun or soaked to the skin in the rain waiting for a bus at a wayside bus stop? Blame it on the city administration and not the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC).

A large number of wayside bus stops in the city lack proper shelters to protect commuters from the heat and rain, while the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) looks the other way.Lack of this amenity came to the fore when passengers using the BMTC’s Airport Special facility had to endure much discomfort.

As these buses run fewer trips than regular services, it is a long wait for passengers at such roofless bus stops. Ramesh Chandra, a resident of Jayamahal, was waiting with his family at the TV Tower Bus Stop on Jayamahal Road to take a Vayu Vajra on Sunday. Carrying several pieces of heavy luggage, he found it tiring to wait under the hot sun. He could not move aside under a tree along with the luggage as he was not sure when exactly the bus would come.

“I have no option but to wait by the roadside without any protection,” he said. Similar was the plight of R. Venkatesh, a resident of Madhavanagar. He, however, had to suffer the consequences of heavy rain.

He was waiting for the Vayu Vajra near Shivananda Circle on Saturday, but as the stop did not have a shelter, he was drenched before he boarded the airport service.

His immediate concern was to protect his laptop, although it was encased. According to a senior BMTC official, of the 39 pick-up points identified for Vayu Vajra, 18 do not have shelters, which has attracted criticism from commuters.

The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), being the local administration, has now started constructing shelters.

“Neither has the BBMP been doing its duty nor is it allowing us to construct shelters despite several letters to it,” the official said.

Being the service provider, BMTC knows where to locate bus stops and how to furbish them.

He alleged that the BBMP, without consulting either the BMTC or traffic police, had located shelters chosen by advertisers, resulting in inconvenience to the people.

The BBMP had not been cooperating in other areas as well, the official said. The BMTC’s plan to provide an online Passenger Information System displaying the arrival and departure of buses — initially at all bus stops en route to the airport — is still hanging fire.

The palike has not given the go-ahead for the system although the BMTC was prepared to introduce it by equipping the Vajra coaches with GPS.

The passenger information system facility requires continuous power supply and needs protection for the LED display boards, according to the official.

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