Madurai’s first air-conditioned bus shelter was inaugurated in front of Tamukkam Ground on Saturday.
MLA V.V. Rajan Chellappa, Collector K. Veera Raghava Rao and Corporation Commissioner S. Aneesh Sekhar inspected it. Mr. Sekhar said that more such bus shelters would be located in prominent tourist locations through a public-private partnership model.
Explaining the salient features, Mr. Chellappa said the new bus shelter, located at a prime location, had two air conditioners of 1.5 tonnes each and can seat up to 15 people.
There was a reverse osmosis water treatment plant and mobile charging ports for the users. The shelter was constructed at a cost of ₹10 lakh allocated from the MLA Constituency Development Scheme.
Two e-toilets had been erected next to it at a cost of ₹5 lakh each allotted from the Corporation General Fund. The self-cleaning toilets would be useful in a crowded place like the Tamukkam Ground, said a corporation engineer. The shelter would get LED screen display, closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras and new doors soon. The success of the facility depended on proper use and maintenance by the public, the official said.
“Several interesting projects, including those under the Smart City scheme are in the pipeline. It is important that the public and the Corporation worked in tandem to make the most of these facilities,” the Corporation Commissioner said.
