Are you waiting in Bandar town to travel by an RTC bus? Better carry an umbrella or you may have to bear the intense summer heat. An erstwhile education centre and a hub for ‘kalamkari' material in the State, surprisingly does not have a bus-shelter and passengers have to wait in the sun or rain for buses.
Except for the APSRTC Bus Station Complex and a shelter on Beach Road, there is no bus shelter and everyone has to stand on main roads exposed to nature's vagaries to take a bus or an auto rickshaw.
More than 200 buses come to Machilipatnam from various destinations in the district and from East and West Godavari, Khammam, and Guntur carrying nearly 20,000 people every day.
Neither the APSRTC nor the Municipality have constructed bus shelters for the convenience of passengers. No donor has come forward to erect shelters at major junctions in the town and the passengers are seen waiting in the shades in front of the shops close to the bus-stop.
In the town, the Koneru Centre connecting Vijayawada road, Revathi Centre, Rajavari Centre, Mudu Stambala Centre and Chellapalli Road were the major junctions without a shelter.
Bandar town has a great history and was the hub for transport through sea port during British rule. The place known for mouth watering ‘sweets' and headquarters of Krishna district, has been neglected for the last few decades, alleged the locals.
“There were no bus shelters for commuters and the avenue trees were also removed during road widening. People have to search for shade on the main roads while waiting for a bus, which was a big problem for the aged and children”, a retired government employee Krishna Murthy told The Hindu .
“The problem was more acute during summer as all the main roads were laid with concrete, which radiates heat. There were occasions when children and the infirm waiting for buses fainted due to sun-storke”, said Madhavi Latha, a local.
“The APSRTC in association with Mahcilipatnam Municipality should construct shelters at Koneru Centre, Revathi and Rajavari Centre and also plan at some important junctions. We request philanthropists help in construction of bus shelters in the town”, a commuter Suri Babu.
