THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The city has AC buses, many good roads and better traffic systems. But all is not well for those who wait for public transport in the city. Sun or rain, the commuters have to brave it out as major bus stops here lack bus shelters.Diminishing the importance of pedestrian safety measures and widened roads, people wait on roadsides and footpaths for buses.Scores of people could be seen waiting for buses in front of the Chandrasekharan Nair Stadium, Saphalyam Complex, Statue, Overbridge, Ulloor, Kesavadasapuram, Pattom, Vellayambalam and lot many places. Also, the existing bus shelters cannot accommodate the huge volume of commuters in the city.As part of the City Road Improvement Programme, bus shelters have came up at Sasthamangalam, Kuravankonam, Peroorkada, Narmada and Kowdiar. Some of these were constructed using the MLA fund of the then Legislator M Vijayakumar. The Road Safety Authority is in discussions with the Thiruvananthapuram Road Development Company Limited (TRDCL) on construction of around 30 bus shelters in the city. According to Anil Kumar Pandala, vice-president of TRDCL, bus shelters will come up at major locations like Ayurveda College, two locations at Statue, SMV School etc. “But the bus shelters can be constructed only after the completion of roads and footpaths. Involvement of various government agencies is needed for the construction of bus shelters. It will take time,” he added. Though many bus shelters were razed down as part of the road- widening works, authorities are mum on the issue. According to Chief Operating Officer of Kerala Road Fund Board P C Harikesh, bus shelters are not part of CRIP. “Roads and footpaths are our priority,” he said.Last year, TRDCL had announced a plan to construct as many as 200 bus shelters. However, it is now planning to construct only 30 bus shelters, that too with the support of the Road Safety Authority.
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