Rs 16-Lakh Hi-tech Bus Shelters Going Waste

The lackadaisical attitude of the authorities turns bus shelters with facilities like drinking water, FM Radio, Wi-Fi, security camera, mobile phone recharging and newspaper kiosk into mere parking lots
Rs 16-Lakh Hi-tech Bus Shelters Going Waste

KOCHI: It was nearly a year ago that two ‘Prateeksha Bus Shelters’, a special purpose vehicle (SPV) of the PWD, were inaugurated in front of the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI)  near High Court Junction spending nearly ` 8 lakh for each one through PPP model. But now, sadly, the hi-tech bus shelter has turned primarily into an illegal parking yard for vehicles. Even though the phenomenon is not new, the agencies concerned - the police, Motor Vehicles Department (MVD), Public Works Department (PWD) and Kochi Corporation - have been turning  a blind eye towards illegal parking all these days.

 “The bus shelters were inaugurated with facilities like drinking water, FM Radio, Wi-Fi, security camera, mobile phone recharging and newspaper kiosk, but  the lackadaisical attitude of the authorities has turned them into mere parking lots. Interestingly, neither the Motor Vehicles Department nor the Traffic Police is taking any action in this regard,” said an employee of the Kochi Corporation office.

 In fact, the government is wasting ` 16 lakh by not taking any action against the illegal parking. “Moreover, space for stopping buses is also a major problem here. We have informed the RTO and District Collector of the matter and requested them to take necessary steps to utilise the bus shelter properly but they are yet to respond,” said an official with the Prateeksha Bus Shelters Kerala Ltd (PBSKL).

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The New Indian Express
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