For UT, bus shelters can wait, not flyover : The Tribune India

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For UT, bus shelters can wait, not flyover

A CTU bus stop board nailed to a tree at Sector 19 on Sukhna Path. PHOTO: RAVI KUMAR

Ramkrishan Upadhyay

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 11

In November 2016, the UT Administration had dismantled over 300 bus queue shelters all over the city.

Since then, residents have been left at the mercy of the elements while standing on roads waiting for buses. The Administration has failed to allot the work for the construction of the bus queue shelters so far.

The priority of the Administration is not clear. Instead of the flyover, work on bus queue shelters should have been started first. These should not have been dismantled in one go. The UT should have started a process to replace old and dilapidated bus queue shelters in a phased manner so that commuters did not have to suffer much.

RK Garg

Incidentally, it was in 2016 only that Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways had announced the Tribune flyover project on a request from local MP Kirron Kher. The difference in both projects is that while people are still waiting for the bus queue shelters, the Administration has not only got the flyover project approved but has also selected a firm to start the work.

The ministry had approved a consultant for the flyover in 2017. The consultant submitted a report in 2018 and the ministry approved the project in 2019. The tender was finalised in March 2019.

How can we call the city smart if the Administration takes over three years to construct bus queue shelters. It is tough to stand on roads without any shelters.

Rajiv Kathuria

In contrast to the flyover, it took around two years to finalise the design of the bus queue shelters. After the design was finalised, the tender has not been finalised despite five attempts owing to various reasons. This despite the fact that another winter season has arrived, but there is no sign of the construction of new bus queue shelters in the city in the near future.

While the Administration has now again extended the date for the tender for the construction of the bus queue shelters, it is unlikely that the construction will begin in the next six months.

The contrast

The ministry concerned had approved a consultant for the flyover in 2017. The consultant submitted a report in 2018 and the ministry approved the project in 2019. The tender was finalised in March 2019.
In contrast to the flyover, it took around two years to finalise the design of the bus queue shelters. After the design was finalised, the tender has not been finalised despite five attempts owing to various reasons.

For nearly three years, residents have been waiting for the completion of the project, braving extreme weather. Commuters are having a tough time standing on the road with no protection from the scorching sun, rain or cold, depending upon the weather.

The Administration has planned to construct around 300 bus queue shelters in the city on a build, own, operate and transfer (BOOT) basis. The selected company will be given permission to display advertisements. The company will also be given the responsibility of maintaining other bus queue shelters.