If there was one complaint that commuters had at Ambattur IE bus stand in Chennai, that would be the dismal floor filled with sand and stones that led to many tripping over and hurting themselves. Officials have now addressed the issue, having laid a proper floor, much to the relief of people.
“It has been a request for years and finally, it gets done. Now, there is no problem of people tripping and falling over at the site,” said Dinesh, a commuter who was waiting for his ride.
“The work is welcome for the summer would have made things dry and the dust here would have made it worse for us. Thankfully, the place is good now,” said Francis, joining in on the conversation.
“The important thing to note is that people, while scampering about to board their bus often bit the dust due to numerous stones and potholes. It has taken a long time for the issue to get addressed, but nonetheless, it is welcome,” said Gangadharan, another commuter.
He added that a month ago officials had filled the potholes with debris to help matters and aid the buses in getting in and out of the stand.
“That however made matters even worse because every time a bus crossed the path, the debris will be scattered every where. The problem had to be rectified and finally it has been,” said Dinesh.
Other problems that residents and commuters want solved include reducing the shelter height. “The shelter provided for passengers is too high and does not serve the purpose during the rainy season and summer. However, we are not hopeful that it will be changed because once removed, it will take months for officials to replace the shelter and we do not want to be standing under the blazing sun without shelter whatsoever. Things can be done a bit better here,” added Dinesh.
Requests are also pending for proper restroom facilities and benches for people to sit, apart from providing drinking water for people. With one demand met, authorities have many more miles to go, said commuters.