Commuter-friendly bus shelters turn damp squib

Abids: Exquisitely painted new bus shelters entitled as “Commuters Friendly Elegant Bus Shelters” by the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) are running dry as the commuters have to put unnecessary efforts to get inside them.

The new bus shelters are fenced with grilles with only one narrow passage entry causing inconvenience to the hasty passengers. The commuters have to move to the other side to get inside the elegant bus shelter and walk back through the narrow gateway on sighting the bus number for their desired destination. When enquired commuters kept whining about the unnecessary grills, Rajesh, a commuter, said, “A majority of travelers prefer standing at the bus shelters as the buses don’t halt at the designated spot. The commuters have to run to alight on the bus. Due to which these new bus shelters are not user-friendly.

To stand in shade one has to get inside through a single narrow passage and tread the same path to come out. Buses stop only for a few seconds within which the commuters have to run and catch the bus. Running through the single entry to catch the bus is not possible.” Another commuter Jhansi said, “These bus shelters are not comfortable as the seats don’t have back support and it would be better if they use some signboards for bus routes and numbers.” When asked about this issue Additional commissioner GHMC, Adwait Kumar Singh said, “We will rectify the issues as soon as possible.”