Bus shelter on arterial road used by street vendors

MYSURU: The sheer irony of the situation concerning bus shelters in the city would be comical but for the trouble that the citizens are put to as a result of the utter lack of planning as regards public transport. While key junctions such as Ashoka Circle and Vedanta Circle, which act as key nodes connecting various bus routes in the city, either have no or very poor bus shelters, it is interesting to note that Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) has constructed one on New Kantharaj Urs Road – a thoroughfare not used regularly by buses.The bus shelter has, consequently, turned into a hub for street vendors and a resting place.
Regular bus commuters said that, buses do not ply on the road in question and that they had to board them at Ashoka Circle. They pointed out that, although passengers have often stood at the shelter hoping to board buses, they have been left sorely disappointed.
Velayudhan, a street vendor, alleged that MCC was using the bus shelter to increase its revenue by displaying advertisements. “It has a great roof, and the seats are very comfortable. But no buses stop here. The only use is that it helps MCC earn money by displaying advertisements,” he told TOI.
Residents of areas surrounding New Kantharaj Urs Road said that the construction of the shelter began around two years ago. “When work on the shelter commenced, we assumed that Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) would start to operate buses on the road. But this has not come about. The bus shelter has become a home for stray animals,” said Lakshmi Urs, a resident of Krishnamurthypuram.
Lakshmi added that a dedicated zone for food vendors close to the shelter had not been inaugurated by the MCC. “Instead, they are focusing on blocking pavements in other areas,” she said.
On being queried about the problem, an MCC official said, “We are not aware of this problem. But, we will look into it. Firstly, we need to ascertain who built the shelter, and the purpose behind it.”