JOIN USHome Minister’s promise to construct new bus stop in Bannanje is a ray of hope.
Udupi district is perhaps the only district in the State that has KSRTC bus stand operating in the rented land and building. However, the present (rented) bus stop is in very dilapidated condition and government has not taken up any serious initiatives in this direction.
During his recent visit to the temple town, Home Minister R Ashok assured that the proposal for KSRTC bus stop is formulated and initiatives will be taken up to construct the bus stop in Bannanje.
The project cost is Rs 10 crore. He also said the bus stop will be named after the late leader Dr V S Acharya. He added that the proposal is pending before Public Work Department for clearance. The long pending desire of the people in Udupi to own KSRTC bus stop has remained a dream over the years since the inception of the Udupi district, he added.
KSRTC Depot Manager Uday Shetty told Deccan Herald that the present bus stop of KSRTC is housed in the area owned by CMC. “We have been paying rent to CMC since many years and the system continues. There is an urgent need for KSRTC bus stop in Udupi district,” he added.
The KSRTC bus stop in CMC owned land is a big nuisance to the commuters. The foul smell and also polluted atmosphere makes it impossible to sit and wait for the buses. Lack of proper toilet facilities is another bane.
The area also shelters beggars, drunkards, cattle, stray dogs and also all sorts of illegal activities. One glance at the bus stop will remind travelers of the slum dwellings.
The apathy that is shown to maintain cleanliness is absolutely a challenge to the patience of the travelers who wait hours together for the government buses of long routes.
There is no rest room for ladies and the seating arrangements are awful. The garbage dumped in the area is cleaned only once in awhile. The dustbins kept are turned out to be wash basins to spew out and sputter.
Sandhya Bhat from Karkala says that she has never seen such a dirty bus stop all through her traveling to many distant areas. She added that government should come forward to construct a new bus stop with better seating facilities. She also said there is no proper toilet facilities for women. Everywhere it is stinking, she adds.
Hariprasad from Bangalore, software professional said this bus stop area is congested and one cannot expect better facilities in this small area. Government could have opted for palatial space similar to other districts to build the bus stop, he added.
The newly inaugurated KSRTC depot serves as depot for the maintenance of buses technically as well as administratively. The buses scheduled to start off from the depot only to pick passengers in the bus stand.
Virginia Kujur who had come to board the bus to Mumbai said: “I am frustrated here. People keep spitting everywhere. The bus stop is not at all clean. Besides, there are lots of beggars who harass you to maximum,” she added.
Almost all districts in the State own full fledged government bus stand facilities with all basic infrastructural amenities. Buses for as many as 122 routes are run from Udupi KSRTC bus stop. The sources in Udupi district KSRTC Traffic Controller office said that around 244 buses ply everyday from Udupi covering almost all areas in the State.