THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Shabby and amenities-deprived bus shelters in the capital will soon be a thing of the past. As part of its efforts to standardise bus shelters by giving them a uniform design, the Thiruvananthapuram corporation -- in association with Smart City Thiruvananthapuram and the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation -- is preparing to set up state-of-the-art modern bus shelters loaded with a slew of features including WiFi, luggage racks, charging ports, letterbox and more. In the first phase, 35 bus shelters in the capital will be modernised.
The authorities are set to invite Expressions of Interest (EoI) to develop bus shelters under a public-private partnership mode. An official with the corporation told TNIE that it has been decided to go ahead with the work on a built-operate-transfer basis.
“We will invite the EoI soon and the contractor taking up the project will be responsible for developing, operating and maintaining the bus shelters for 15 years. The profit they generate from advertising will be shared with the government. After 15 years, the bus shelters will be handed over to the corporation,” the official said.
Totem poles will be installed at places where the construction of bus shelters is impossible. “Totem poles are sleek and compact and take up less space. Those who want to catch a bus can get all the information from them,” the official said.
According to the new concept, bus shelters will have micro business units. “A microbusiness unit will enhance security and surveillance at the bus shelter. There will be a person available at the bus stop throughout, giving more safety and security for women,” the official pointed out.
The Smart City Thiruvananthapuram has already identified 12 out of the 35 locations where the modern bus shelters will be set up. “We will be selecting bus stops that have not undergone any renovation in the recent past. The project will be executed within three months,” the official said.