KOCHI: The bus shelters constructed along the roadside might have raised the eyebrows of several people. But the structure or designs may not be the reason, but the fund spent on the construction of a small infrastructure.But the bus shelters can be built by spending a meagre `15,000 and that too with the help of used plastic bottles and tyres. BSB Arts and Sports Club, Pavankulangara near Tripunithura came up with the model bus shelter after the authorities turned a blind eye to the long-standing demand of the public.
“Though there was a bus stop, a bus shelter remained a distant dream. Commuters had to take cover under the roof of nearby shops or trees. So we thought of building one after spending bare minimum funds. Since we wanted to convey a message to the public, discarded bottles and old tyres were used. Through this, the threat posed by plastic and the unnecessary wastage of public money could be highlighted,” said Shyam Surendran, president of the club.
The model bus shelter is also designed to provide awareness about Covid-19 and the mindless deforestation.“ Since several people use the facility on a daily basis, the message can be communicated easily. Mainly it is the precautions we have to adopt during the pandemic that is mainly displayed. Based on the situation, the theme will keep changing,” he added.
The discarded bottles used in the construction were collected from the Tripunithura police station. They had been discarded by personnel who were provided drinking water by NGOs during the lockdown.“Around 700 bottles have been used in the construction of the 12x6 feet facility. Besides, seating was provided using discarded tyres. An iron frame and plastic sheets too were utilised,” he said.The initiative has been lauded by locals and people’s representatives. “M Swaraj, MLA, called us to congratulate,” said another member of the club.