Utter commotion at new bus stand in Hassan

Passengers are a confused lot

Intermittent rains, pavements that lack asphaltation, thousands of school and college students, people with luggage scurrying from one place to another to find their bus... this is the view of the new bus stand in Hassan.

Hundreds of people are put into a lot of hardship here, thanks to the negligence of the officials concerned. Although such a situation was faced by passengers earlier also, they seem to have not learnt a lesson and have recreated a similar situation, inviting the wrath of the people.

While utter commotion, due to shifting of the bus stand, is still fresh in their memory, they are forced into the same situation again by the sudden closure of the old bus stand.

Almost 2,000 buses arrive and depart from the new bus stand and those arriving to
Hassan were seen struggling to find their bus to reach their destination.

Though the bus stand was shifted, rural buses were operated from the old bus stand, from where thousands of passengers were commuting.

The authorities concerned are more interested in constructing a commercial complex and a new bus stand but have failed to make appropriate alternative arrangements for the passengers.

One look at the bus stand during peak hours is sufficient for the officials to understand the problems faced by the common man.

Buses arriving from rural areas drop passengers near the old bus stand, but they have to come to the new bus stand while returning. This has forced the people to launch another protest from Monday, according to sources.

Though it is two years since the new bus stand was opened, works on overbridge near the railway crossing is still pending. The compounds of a religious institution and a private organisation were demolished for road widening.

Craters have formed on the road leading to the new bus stand and officials are turning a blind-eye towards the issue.

Meanwhile, people are gearing up to launch a protest demonstration from Monday, urging the KSRTC to handover the old bus stand site to the city municipal council.