Leaky Old Washermanpet bus shelter causes inconvenience to commuters

CHENNAI: The bus shelter at Clock Tower in Old Washermanpet is in bad shape and poses a threat to the commuters. As the city witnessed intermittent rain spells, the roof of the bus shelter leaked and caused inconvenience for those who waited for buses.

“The old bus shelter was damaged and did not have seats. A year ago the Corporation set up another shelter which is located near the Tondiarpet zonal office. Now, the seats and roofs are broken which resulted in leakage during rains. When heavy rain lashed the city recently the road condition became slushy and we had to stand under the leaky roof,” rued commuters of Old Washermanpet.

In addition, the frequency of MTC buses has reduced drastically recently and we are forced to wait under the sun for a long time. The bus shelter has been used to park two-wheelers by MTC officials and other motorists who drop their relatives at the bus stop. Another bus shelter which is in bad shape has been occupied by street dwellers. So, the commuters should wait on the road and raise concerns about public safety.

“We are tired of complaining to the zonal officials and ward councilors to replace the bus shelter to prevent mishaps during the monsoon season. The civic authorities would act against the issue only if any accident occurs,” said K Usha, a resident of Tondiarpet.

When contacted, Councillor of Ward 42 M Renuka stated several complaints were filed to the civic body and authorities ensured that temporary works would be carried out on dilapidated bus shelters before the onset of the northeast monsoon.

“At least four damaged bus shelters in the area will be replaced in January. The bus shelters which have been removed by the Chennai Metro Rail will be constructed after completing the works in the area,” added Renuka.