Looking at the way vehicles are parked at the bus stops outside the High Court and C1 Flower Bazaar police station at George Town, one wonders whether they are designated halting points or parking bays.
NSC Bose Road and Rattan Bazaar Road are important shopping and business areas. Every inch of public space on the road is generally occupied, including the bus stops. When a police squad goes around the area, there are evictions, but very often the evicted are back doing business.
At these two bus stops, autorickshaws, and vehicles of visitors to the market and traders are conveniently parked on the pavements and the space abutting it.
Even space between cars is taken over by two-wheeler riders to park their bikes. Commuters waiting at the stop are inconvenienced as they are forced to stand on the road.
The battle for space continues on the road too. Share autorickshaws (operated till Korukkupet) drivers and regular autorickshaws occupy the road space to ferry commuters. MTC drivers rarely get to stop at the designated bus stops, which forces commuters to run behind buses to board them.
“We find it difficult to alight and board buses as autos and other vehicles block the space,” says S. Dinesh, a resident of Vallalar Nagar.
Commuters want the traffic police to stop vehicles from parking at the bus stops. Even MTC checking squads must be stationed at these stops to bring some discipline.