At around 9.30am on Thursday, at least 50 men and women are seen waiting for a bus at the Veerakeralam bus stop, the entry point into corporation limits. A majority of them are covering their heads with dupattas, sari pallus or large handkerchiefs, because the stop does not have a shelter.
The Veerakeralam bus stop offers waiting passengers some form of shade due to the presence of large trees in the area, but in many other parts of the district, passengers have to wait in the scorching heat. "We usually leave for work or college at around 8.30am, but the sun comes out as early as 8am," said a regular commuter at Poosaripalayam bus stop, Saraswathi R. "So many elderly people and children who get dehydrated and fatigued by the heat often end up sitting on the road while waiting for a bus," she said.
"In the stretch that I travel, at least 50 per cent of bus stops don't have shelters," said Poongudi K, another commuter seen at Karupurankovil bus stop, on Sundapalayam Road.
On Mettupalayam Road, many bus stops like Thudiyalur, Vadamadurai and even Saibaba Colony lack proper bus shelters.
"Even Narasimanaickenpalayam and Periyanaickenpalayam bus stops don't have shelters," said a private driver, K Karunakaran. "There is a stop in each of these villages with a shelter, but the buses never stop in front of it," he said.
In the absence of a proper shelter and a bus stoppage zone marking in front of it, buses often stop 10-ft before or after the 'usual stopping point' says Poongudi. "Most of us are afraid to take out our umbrellas, because the conductors shout and taunt us for the 30 seconds it takes to close it," she says. Many are forced to run to catch the bus, which adds to the chaos.
The assistant director, village panchayats, P Karuppiah, says they do not have a system of allocating separate funds for bus shelters. "Sometimes, people complain about lack of bus shelters during public greivances. Then we try to move funds from other schemes or use panchayat funds to construct the shelter," he said.
However, the available funds are mostly directed towards more important schemes, leaving little for bus shelters, P Karuppiah added.
The Veerakeralam bus stop offers waiting passengers some form of shade due to the presence of large trees in the area, but in many other parts of the district, passengers have to wait in the scorching heat. "We usually leave for work or college at around 8.30am, but the sun comes out as early as 8am," said a regular commuter at Poosaripalayam bus stop, Saraswathi R. "So many elderly people and children who get dehydrated and fatigued by the heat often end up sitting on the road while waiting for a bus," she said.
"In the stretch that I travel, at least 50 per cent of bus stops don't have shelters," said Poongudi K, another commuter seen at Karupurankovil bus stop, on Sundapalayam Road.
On Mettupalayam Road, many bus stops like Thudiyalur, Vadamadurai and even Saibaba Colony lack proper bus shelters.
"Even Narasimanaickenpalayam and Periyanaickenpalayam bus stops don't have shelters," said a private driver, K Karunakaran. "There is a stop in each of these villages with a shelter, but the buses never stop in front of it," he said.
In the absence of a proper shelter and a bus stoppage zone marking in front of it, buses often stop 10-ft before or after the 'usual stopping point' says Poongudi. "Most of us are afraid to take out our umbrellas, because the conductors shout and taunt us for the 30 seconds it takes to close it," she says. Many are forced to run to catch the bus, which adds to the chaos.
The assistant director, village panchayats, P Karuppiah, says they do not have a system of allocating separate funds for bus shelters. "Sometimes, people complain about lack of bus shelters during public greivances. Then we try to move funds from other schemes or use panchayat funds to construct the shelter," he said.
However, the available funds are mostly directed towards more important schemes, leaving little for bus shelters, P Karuppiah added.