Commuters demand bus shelters on interior routes

Hubballi: Temperature in the twin cities is expected to reach 40 degrees Celsius soon. Now there are regular showers in the evenings too. People waiting for city buses are struggling as there are no bus shelters in interior routes.
Neelamma Kori, a senior citizen, told TOI that she was completely drenched on Sunday evening when waiting for a bus at Chetana College stop in Vidyanagar. “The bus came very late due to ongoing road work at Sirur Park. There were no autorickshaws too and I had to stand in rain,” she added.

Harsha Miskin, a private firm employee, said the authorities were concentrating only on the BRTS stretch between Hubballi and Dharwad. “If we have to catch a bus to Gamanagatti on this stretch, we must wait in the scorching sun or rain as all the bus shelters here were demolished during BRTS work. When I went to stand under BRTS station during Sunday’s showers, a security guard did not allow me be there,” he added.

Sangeeta, Meena, Nikita, all students of Mahila Vidya Peetha, who were waiting to catch NWKRTC bus at Hosur Cross, said there used to be shelter where they could wait for buses. “It was demolished during BRTS work. We don’t know if the shelter will be reconstructed or not. As it is very difficult to wait in the hot sun, we catch any bus to Corporation stop where there are shelters ,” they said.

Ninganagouda Patil, a student, said that his school reopened from April 1 but he is suffering from fever due to waiting in the hot sun.

Dr S V Sullad, a medical practitioner in Akshay Colony, said many people who wait for buses under the sun were suffering from heat exhaustion, heat cramps and some of them are even being caught under sun stroke.

When contacted, Ashok Patil, divisional traffic officer, Hubballi division, NWKRTC, said a joint survey was conducted with HDMC about one half years ago. “We had submitted a report on the requirement of shelters in interior routes of Hubballi,” he added.

Despite repeated efforts, HDMC Commissioner C W Shakeel Ahmed was unavailable for comment.