Misery rules Majestic

down the drain

The problems that surround Majestic or Kempegowda Bus Station are endless. From badly maintained toilets to lack of information on bus routes, from broken roads to overflowing drains, the list goes on. 

Women commuters rate safety as a major concern here. Shri, a 23-year-old professional, has been commuting via Majestic for the past two years. 

She says that she has experienced untoward incidents on an everyday basis. “Eve-teasing is rampant here and there is no respect for women. Men hurl derogatory comments. During the evenings and nights, it’s very dangerous for women to walk alone. More policemen need to be deployed here,” she says.

Lack of buses is another major issue faced by the passengers. Shruthi, who commutes via Majestic Bus Stand frequently, says, “Sometimes, during peak hours, buses stop outside the stand to avoid traffic congestion. So we end up missing the bus even after waiting for a long time. When we raise this issue with the bus conductors and drivers, they conveniently ignore it. There are no officials to monitor the situation.” 

Janardhan N, a commuter, says he gets tired of waiting for a bus. He says there is no drinking water supply here. “The only toilet here is badly maintained,” he adds. 

Raghu, an IT professional,  says there is no information about the bus routes and numbers. “The bus numbers are not displayed properly and there is no one at the enquiry desk who can provide the right information. The staff sometimes behave rudely and do not give proper information,” he says. 

Traffic seems never-ending in this part of the City after Metro construction began. “The traffic moves at a snail’s pace. This area is overcrowded due to the railway station and to top it all, the Metro construction adds to the misery. In areas like this, the government should speed up the Metro construction,” says Suresh, a resident of the area. 

   The Majestic subway, which connects the bus stand and the railway station, is choking with problems.

With stains of ‘paan’ and rusted tin drums, the place is  dimly lit and infested with mosquitoes. 

Majestic is also no friend to a pedestrian.  People struggle to walk on the water-logged streets and the vendors  on the pavements leave them with little space.