The officials who deal with a host of issues related to the partly functional, under-construction KSRTC bus terminal at Thampanoor now have fresh problems to resolve. The iron pipes laid in parallel lines at the entry are meant exclusively for the transit of buses, however, the passengers step into them and often find themselves caught in the wide slits between the pipes.
At least five such incidents occur a day when passengers, mostly women and elderly people, get their legs trapped between the pipes. Those who avoid the pipes do not enjoy a breezy walk either. Loosely placed broken wooden planks on either side add to the woes of passengers, who should move cautiously to avert a fall. During peak hours, buses queue up waiting for the passengers, worsening the maze on the main road. The path close to this entry point is littered with bricks, iron rods and piles of sand and on the other end the chaos is complete with puddles and mud.
“Most of the time we have to manoeuvre like a circus artist. And the main entrance is full of construction materials and workers so this is the one and only option left for us,” Sheena, a college student said.
The commuter flow thickens between 8am and 9.30am and from 4pm to 5.30pm. During night, the ordeal is even bitter if it rains as the pipes turn slippery aggravating the chances of fall. “Morning and evening we will be in a hurry to catch the bus, most of us take the easy way to enter. Then we have to cross the pedestrian trap which is a hard deal for us,” said Ramachandran, a secretariat employee.
Officials at the terminal said passengers tend to ignore the warning boards. “There is a clear sign board which says that pedestrian entry is restricted. Two thousand trips will be operated from here and if the passengers are entering the terminal through the two bays meant only for buses, they will be in deep trouble. We don’t want that to happen. But people do not understand the problem, they are just looking for an easy way and they are not listening to the security staff,” said a senior KTDFC official.
KSRTC authorities said that the entry and exit points were finalized after a great deal of discussions and were actually meant to ensure pedestrian safety.
Times of India
