The Thiruvananthapuram city Corporation is set to revamp bus shelters in the city that have become rundown over the years.
According to the civic body's assessment, close to 100 bus shelters in different areas of the city are in a dilapidated condition, posing danger to the public. The Corporation plans to revamp them under a public-private partnership model with better amenities.
One of the issues that the Corporation faces while attempting to renovate the bus shelters is regarding the ownership of the structures. Some of these were constructed by NGOs, private agencies, and residents associations, and have no regular upkeep. The Corporation officials had recently convened a meeting with officials from the Public Works Department (PWD) and the Kerala Road Fund Board (KRFB) to seek their opinion on bus shelter renovation works along roads under their control.
"We are thinking of a common project to renovate all bus shelters that are in dilapidated conditions. There have been cases of people getting injured when parts of these structures crashed down. Though some of these were constructed by NGOs or other agencies, the Corporation ends up getting notices from the court or the Human Rights Commission whenever such incidents happen. The structures built by clubs or agencies are made with the aim of advertising their name, and often do not have the required stability. This is why the Corporation decided to revamp all of them," said a Corporation official.
According to the official, several proposals have been received at the Corporation for sponsoring bus shelters. The civic body will ensure that the revamped bus shelters are of uniform design and of required stability.
LED walls with bus timings, drinking water dispenser, and public toilet facilities will also be part of the design at locations with enough space. Renovation of bus shelters will be taken up along stretches where widening or maintenance works are not being considered immediately.
