More than half of bus stops in the city have no shelters.
Bus stops in Bengaluru like Sultanpalya, Ramohalli, Anchayepalya, Kumbalgodu,and others either do not have shelters or have shelters that are shabby due to a lack of maintenance. Officials say that the construction of all bus shelters will probably be completed by March 2023.
The data provided by Traffic Engineering Cell (TEC) of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) says that BBMP was assigned to build shelters for commuters for 2,212 bus stops under their jurisdiction. However, only 1,006 bus stops in Bengaluru have shelters so far. Of the rest, 585 bus shelters are in progress, and construction is yet to begin in the other 607 bus stops.
Sharif, a businessman and resident of Sultanpalya who often commutes by bus, said, “Sultanpalya doesn’t have a proper bus stop as the existing shelter at the bus stop is filled with garbage. We wait for buses near the roadside.” He also said that the shelter is in the opposite side of the bus stop.
A female conductor, Nagarathi, at Kempegowda Bus Stand Magestic, said, “I am new to this job, but I have observed that bus stops lack seats and roofs. I saw people standing near the roadside”.
Baburao, 45, a regular commuter, said, “One can stand below the sun for a moment and endure the heat, but these days it is difficult to predict the weather, and an umbrella sometimes cannot save you alone when it rains heavily. You will definitely need a shelter.”
Due to the lack of shelter, people stand on the roadside in Kumbalgodu for buses to arrive.
Bhardavi, a college student who was waiting for a bus at the Ramohalli Bus Stop, said,” The wooden seats and the roof of the bus shelter are starting to crack and the roof has developed holes due to a lack of maintenance.” She also said that when it rains heavily this whole area gets flooded with rain water.
Ramya, a school teacher who was waiting for the bus at the Kumbalgodu bus stop said, “This place has a large number of commuters, yet there is no bus stop here. Buses are not that frequent at this place so, sometimes we wait for an hour andlongerunder the sun.”
Jaysimha, an executive engineer at the TEC, BBMP, said, “We have allotted one to two shelters at every bus stop; however, there could be more than two depending upon the traffic volumes.” He further said that they have set the deadline to complete the entire construction work by March 2023.
Sharath M M, an architect in Design Planning and Management Solutions, said that neither the existing nor the developing bus stops cater to the needs of the people. “Although the Indian government and the Council of Architecture have released certain guidelines stating that standard measurement and basic facilities should be given in bus shelters, it has never been implemented,” he said. He also said that most bus stops are constructed at a height, and there is no ramp designed for the physically challenged.
He suggested that the bus stop shelters be disabled-friendly and have comfortable seats.
