Hyderabad: Bus stops sans shelters leave commuters 'frying'

Hyderabad: Rising temperature and absence of bus shelters on a large number of routes are making commuters wait for RTC buses in hot sun. Commuters waiting for buses is a common sight across the city with construction of bus shelters going at a snail's pace.

In many areas, bus stops have simply disappeared! Some lie in battered condition; there are no roofs for commuters; some are gone due to road development works; there is no spot for drivers to stop bus at Nagole, LB Nagar, Saroornagar, Ameerpet, Sagar Ring Road, Barkas, Shaikpet, Langar Houz, Tolichowki, Nanal Nagar, and other areas in the city, where people are seen standing and bearing heat.

Most people waiting at these bus stops are school, college and office-going commuters from surrounding areas. "The bus stop is usually busy during the peak morning and evening hours. A few dozen commuters are seen waiting for bus on roads as there is no designated bus stop or a bus shelter," said Afreen Begum, a student, at Nanal Nagar, who usually travels in buses daily.

"Rising temperature; no shelter and no seating facility adds to our woes," she complained, while speaking to The Hans India. Similar problems are faced by commuters who are seen waiting for a bus in scorching sun daily. "Earlier, there was a bus stop with a shelter, but after the flyover was constructed, the shelter disappeared. We commuters wait on the main roads; drivers do not stop at bus stops. The concerned department must construct bus shelters at earliest," added Vandana Sharma, a commuter at Ameerpet.

According to TSRTC, there are over 2,100 bus stops across the city. However, 1,300 bus shelters have been constructed with 16 AC bus shelters. Over 800 are to be built. The official claims are inappropriate as most bus shelters disappeared during developmental works in areas like Santoshnagar, Saidabad, Malakpet, Shaikpet, Sagar Ring Road, LB Nagar, Saroornagar, Nagole, Bahadurpura, Zoo Park and Puranapul.

People have requested for temporary sheds at bus stops, Srinivas at Sagar Ring Road said. "A shed should be placed in current conditions which make their commuting a bad experience in blazing heat." Some shelters at city bus stops are in a bad shape, with no proper seating arrangements. Some have turned homes for shelter-less. People are seen crowded during peak hours. "During peak hours, footfall of commuters is very high. Students, employees and others use buses from the stop. At least they can renovate a bus shelter here on priority basis," said Rashed Faraz at LB Nagar.