BENGALURU: Only 1,000 of the city’s 8,000 bus stops have shelters, and the incessant rain over the past week has added to the woes of people waiting for buses.
The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike and the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation blame each other when questions are raised about the problem. The land on which the shelters stand belongs to the BBMP.
Sunaina T A, a commuter waiting near the Hopcoms outlet near Lalbagh, said, “What do we do when it rains? We have nothing to protect us, and to add to our worries, drivers park away from the stop, and drive away before we reach the bus.”
In August, the BBMP called for tenders for the construction of 2,212 new shelters.
A senior BBMP official said the tenders were floated under four packages, and only two had received a good response.
After the bidding is done, the BBMP must give a formal approval. Construction is expected to begin by December end, he said.
Many of the existing shelters don’t have roofs or seats and put passengers, especially senior citizens, to inconvenience.
A BMTC spokesperson said, “Our officials have gone with the BBMP authorities and surveyed all corners of the city to mark out spaces for the shelters.”
Several changes are being proposed for the new shelters. The earlier ones were maintained by the BMTC, but that later became the responsibility of the municipal body.
However, many commuters say BBMP builds shelters only to make money through advertising.
Advertising contractors build shelters after the land is leased out to them by the BBMP, and the needs of commuters are never addressed, many complain.
The tenders make it mandatory for the contractors to pay heed to the interests of commuters, and stipulate space for amenities like a passenger information system (PIS), route maps and signage. Toilets must be built near the shelters wherever space is available, said a BBMP official.
The contracts lay down that the shelters have steel barricades and street furniture for passengers. The information system is maintained by the BMTC. The shelters are leased out for 20 years by the BMTC at an annual fee of `40,000.