The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has hit a snag in its plan to renovate the 844 bus shelters in the city. In March, the civic body had sought the Council’s approval to explore the public-private-partnership mode to ensure uniformity and quality at bus shelters.
The shelters were divided into 12 corridors, comprising around 65 each. The civic body called for tenders soon after it received the Council’s approval, and according to an official, the response was poor and only three of the 12 corridors ended up receiving bids.
“Those who responded to the tenders quoted a price that was around 25-30% less than the Corporation’s estimates,” an official said. The GCC will employ consultants to analyse and rework the base cost that it had cited in the tender documents to arrive at an amount amenable to all stakeholders, and the bids are expected to be reopened by the end of May.
Newly-sanctioned bus shelters in the city, commissioned by Members of Parliaments, Members of Legislative Assembly and Corporation councillors, number 100, out of which 25 have been constructed in areas such as Sholinganallur, Adyar, Ambattur and Taramani.
Now that summer has set in, commuters find it difficult to wait in the sun for a bus to arrive without a proper shelter or seating. The bus shelter near the Government Royapettah Hospital currently consists of metal sheets and concrete seating that can accommodate around seven people at best. In addition to being located in front of a petrol bunk, the shelter causes traffic jams, being on an already narrow road due to the ongoing Metro Rail construction.
“The only indicator of the location of the bus shelter opposite T. Nagar Bus Depot is people waiting for their buses,” said Samartha, a college student who commutes by bus on a weekly basis.
Published - April 27, 2023 07:18 pm IST
