‘Make bus queue shelters on approved design’

LUDHIANA: After Local Bodies Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu ordered the cancellation of contract for outdoor advertisements on bus queue shelters in the city, a demand is being raised for setting up new bus queue shelters at right place and as per the approved design.

A sample design of bus queue shelter on Ferozepur Road; and the one built by the Greenline firm in Ludhiana. Photos: Ashwani Dhiman

Harshraj Singh

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, June 13

After Local Bodies Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu ordered the cancellation of contract for outdoor advertisements on bus queue shelters in the city, a demand is being raised for setting up new bus queue shelters at right place and as per the approved design. A sample of bus queue shelter was built on the Ferozepur Road in the past but it was 'ignored', said a former MC councillor.

Sidhu on Tuesday ordered cancellation of the agreement of bus queue shelters with the private firm, Greenline, citing irregularities. In 2015, the MC had allowed the private firm to set up around 80 bus queue shelters in the city and generate income for four years to cover the compensation amount, according to information.

Punjab Traffic Adviser Navdeep Singh Asija had then moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court against the construction of the bus queue shelters, alleging violation of advertisement bylaws. The case is sub judice in the court.

A former councillor and former senior member of MC's advertisement committee, Inder Aggarwal, said a design was earlier approved for the construction of bus queue shelters in the city but the civic body had allegedly ignored it.

He said: "A sample of bus queue shelter was built near Octroi on Ferozepur Road. An amount was paid to a private firm for the design of bus queue shelter. I want new bus queue shelters in the city to be set up as per this approved design."

"I had also sought action against the construction of bus queue shelters in 2015 as these were set up by violating the norms. I welcomed the decision taken by the Local Bodies Minister on Tuesday," said Aggarwal.

The then MC officials had claimed that there was no violation in the construction of bus queue shelters.

Kuldeep Singh Khaira from the Vigilant Citizens' Forum said: "The primary objective of bus queue shelters must be public comfort. The bus shelters should be set up at only those places where passengers actually wait for buses, and as per advertisement policy." "Many of the existing bus queue shelters were set up with the primary objective of advertising. Use of bus queue shelters for advertisement purpose must be secondary. Bus shelters must be able to protect passengers from rain and sunlight."Mayor Balkar Singh Sandhu said: "I will look into the matter. However, I have no information about any approved design for bus queue shelters.