City in need of better bus stands ahead of monsoon

Mangaluru: Ahead of monsoon, the lack of adequate bus shelter infrastructure across several parts of Mangaluru has become a major concern for commuters.

Commuters at Pumpwell, Bikarnakatte, Kankanady towards Falnir and other areas are often forced to wait in the open during heavy rain.

At major junctions like Nanthoor, commuters complain that existing shelters provide little protection from rain.

Rosina, principal of Padua PU College, said many students use the Nanthoor bus stand daily. “During heavy rain, water gushes into the bus stand due to inadequate shelter. There should be arrangements to prevent rainwater from entering,” she suggested.

A student at Pumpwell said commuters often take shelter inside the autorickshaw stand during heavy rains while waiting for buses.

Violet Saldhana, a local resident, said that Bikarnakatte Shrine attracts regular visitors, but during rains they have to wait for a bus in nearby shops.

Azeez Parthipady, president of the Dakshina Kannada Bus Operators’ Association, said that repeated requests for bus shelters have been submitted to authorities. He said that despite them raising the issue during road safety committee meetings, RTA meetings and others, little progress has been made.

Parthipady pointed out that Pumpwell, one of the city’s main entry points, lacks a proper bus stand despite heavy commuter traffic. Waterlogging during rains further worsens conditions.

He said major junctions need dedicated bus bays to improve traffic flow.

He also said that Lalbagh near the KSRTC bus stand, Pumpwell, and Karnataka Bank Junction at Kodialbail need urgent attention.

Meanwhile, there are issues near Milagres, and it is alleged that not all private buses stop at the bus bay near St Aloysius.

Sources in the Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) said some bus shelters were constructed under the Smart City project. However, at present there are no proposals for fresh bus shelters.