Citizen Connect: With no bus shelter, Kalmandapam commuters forced to wait in sun

“It is hard to find bus shelters in Tiruvottiyur and Royapuram. Last year, the corporation officials replaced the bus shelters in a few stops, but only on one side of the roads. We have to wait for more than 15-20 mins for a bus in the sun,” said Raman R, a resident of Arthoon Road.

Locals claimed that the area has schools, banks, and several commercial establishments, but passengers who depend on public transport are forced to stand in the sun for a long time. Senior citizens are the ones most affected by thelack of a shelter, said regular commuters.

“Earlier, there was a tree here and we could stand in its shade, but when they constructed the new shelter on the other side of the road, they cut it down. Things are more difficult during rainy days. Many places like Kasimedu, Rajakadai and Kaladipet have not had bus shelters for more than a year,” said Lakshmi Narayanan, also a regular commuter.

When contacted, a senior corporation official said, “The shelter was removed after we received a notice from a nearby house that it was built too close to their compound wall. Within the next week, the new bus stop will be set up a few meters away from the old spot. Efforts are on to construct shelters in other stops.”