Port city's quest for bus stand

Mangaluru or Mangalore  as the city is known  internationally, is growing  on all three sides, north, east and south, for  growth on the western side is blocked  thanks to the vast expanse of  the Arabian sea.

The port city of Mangalore has rightly been hailed as the gateway to Karnataka .

The all-weather New Mangalore Port at Panambur has drawn national and international attention due to brisk export and import activities involving commodities including ore, farm and forest produce , machineries , crude oil and petroleum products etc .

Correspondingly transport activities in the hinterland area of the port and from far off places in the state and outside also have increased by many folds over the years.

Train and road links have inspired large number of tourists to visit the coastal districts of Udupi, Dakshina Kannada and Kasaragod which comprised the undivided South Kanara district prior to reorganisation of states. The region was historically known as Tulunadu.

These are temple districts attracting pilgrims from all over the nation.

The people of northern Kerala including Kasaragod district, which is still culturally with Tulunadu, visit Mangalore and various other places in Dakshina Kannada district, for meeting their health and educational needs, thanks to the large number of educational institutions and excellent hospitals in and around Mangalore.

 All these and many more factors like migratory labours have contributed to the heavy influx of people into the city and this has resulted in growth in bus traffic in the city. But the lack of adequate bus stand and terminus facilities has distressed the commuters especially in the heart of the city Hampanakatta and adjoining areas.

The old bus stand at Hampanakatta was bristling with activities until sixteen years ago when it was shifted to the present bus stand at a private land near the State Bank circle in the name of providing better facilities to commuters.

The old bus stand was left to languish ever since, as a temporary taxi stand. Late M S Baliga, a freedom fighter who was running a hotel at the Hampanakatta bus stand, fought a legal battle and stalled the City Corporation’s move to shift the bus stand for some years and ultimately gave in.

The substantial area in the old bus stand could still be made use of to provide pucca facilities to the ever growing needs of commuters. The authorities could certainly learn a lesson or two from the performances of their counterparts in Kasaragod and Kannur in the neighbouring State Kerala where they have made best use of the available space in erecting pucca bus stand.

The Tulunadu Complex bus stand at Kasaragod is a fine example of how a place could be made a commercially viable venture while at the same time providing best possible bus stand facilities to commuters. In comparison the facilities at the present private bus stand is quite dejecting and horrible. Even proper toilet facilities are lacking.

The old bus stand during its heydays was nerve centre of activities.

Chandrashekhara Shetty, a book seller at Hampanakatta recalls that all leading and senior politicians as well as VIPs were regular users of the bus stand for traveling to Bangalore and other places. The bus stand in those days served both as Government bus stand and private bus stand. Subsequently Government bus stand (KSRTC) was shifted to Bejai.

Alternatives

There are certainly alternative avenues to solve the problem of developing a pucca private bus stand. There is a spacious land area behind the office of the Regional Transport Authority and it is close to the railway station too and if a proper bus stand was constructed it would definitely be appreciated by the large number of people commuting in trains especially from the southern parts.

Then there is the space available at the area where the Central Jail is presently located and moves are afoot to shift the jail to a suitable site outside the City.

Some time ago there were suggestions that the Government Wenlock Hospital be shifted from the heart of the city as under the changed circumstances it was not an ideal place for a hospital. The suggestion if accepted could definitely provide alternative arrangement for providing pucca bus stand and terminus facilities.
 
But all these require a strong political and administrative will and a compassionate heart to respond to the problems of commuters.

Mangalore is also witnessing vertical development in the world of construction with its umpteen number of sky scrapers like in London.

Mangalore may one day become London like but what about the facilities necessary for common man.

Many Governments have come and gone and many parties have tasted power at the state government level and at the City Corporation. The Mangalore City Corporation is ready to celebrate the silver jubilee of its advent as City Corporation.

This happy occasion should also bring cheer to the Mangalore commuters who are in distress. The old bus stand at Hampanakatta must also regain its old glory.