Bengaluru: Broken tin roof at bus shelter a safety threat for commuters

The condition of a BMTC bus shelter on the busy 80 feet road in Rajajinagar 6th Block has raised alarm among commuters as a broken tin roof offers them little protection while they wait for their buses. 

About 800 metres from the Magadi Road metro station, the bus stop, in front of a bakery, sees thousands of regular commuters who travel to Majestic, Malleswaram, Rajajinagar and beyond, every day.

The road also houses several educational institutions and commercial stores, making it a regularly crowded spot. 

During peak hours, it is packed with commuters who risk potential injuries should the sheets precariously placed on rusted iron bars collapse.

“It is quite shocking. There are so many students who use the bus stop every day, but it has been like this for at least the past two decades,” says Sharath Babu, wildlife activist and long-time resident of the area. 

Whatever little space the bus stop offers is also taken up by customers of the bakery, says Bhavesh, a Class 8 student who frequents the stop to catch a bus to his school in Malleswaram.

"Other bus stops have digital boards with timings of the next bus, but it makes me very sad to see that we don’t even have a proper roof here." 

When it rains, he says, many people rush to the bakery for cover but risk missing their buses because they cannot see them. Standing below the roof proves pointless as commuters must deal with the rain. 

"It is very unsafe. Sometimes I get space to sit at the bus stop, but my uniform gets wet when it rains because there are holes in the roof,” says Parikshit, his friend. 

The poor frequency of buses going towards the northern part of the city also worsens the situation, as people must wait for longer to catch their buses.

“If I miss a bus to Malleswaram, I have to wait for at least 25 minutes for the next one,” Bhavesh explained, adding that buses are sometimes so crowded that he could not even think of getting in.

Asked about the bus stop’s pathetic condition, a senior BBMP official assured that they would assess the situation and take necessary action. 

The roof of the bus shelter on the busy 80 feet road in Rajajinagar 6th Block is in a dilapidated condition.