Bengaluru: Audit exposes neglect at 60 bus shelters in Whitefield, Mahadevapura

Bengaluru: An audit of 60 bus shelters in Mahadevapura and Whitefield has raised concerns over public safety, accessibility, structure, cleanliness, and lack of basic infrastructure.

From broken floors and seats to missing bus stop names and poor lighting, the audit paints a grim picture of public transport touchpoints, despite the BBMP granting advertisement rights for their installation and upkeep.

The three-week audit was conducted by Whitefield Rising, a civic group, with help from Siddanth Kartha, Surabhi Albal, Anwita Nirmalesh, Swara Sinari and Aarnav Mehra, all students from private schools in the area.

It revealed that 78% of shelters lacked bus stop names, leaving commuters confused and uninformed. The audit also flagged lighting issues, uncleared garbage, unsafe seating, and signs of rat and pest infestation. Worse, most buses reportedly did not halt at designated stops, forcing commuters to navigate moving traffic.

Prominent stops audited include Ramagondanahalli, ITPL, Kundalahalli Colony, Hopefarm (towards Kadugodi), Doddanekundi, Pattandur Agrahara Gate, Graphite India, Varthur Kodi, Prestige Shantiniketan, and VR Mall. The students urged the BBMP to address the issues at the earliest.