Bus stops for major changes in Visakhapatnam

Visakhapatnam: In a smart city like Visakhapatnam, bus stops are set to don a smart look too as a host of them are getting revamped. The stops in major primary junctions across the city will not just be developed with basic amenities but also to get a dab of contemporary coat.

During the G20 Summit, a model bus stop was developed at Andhra University out gate at a cost of Rs 25 lakh. Incorporating similar features, the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) decided to give a makeover to 20 bus shelters that line within its purview.

From Kurmannapalem to Venkojipalem, the revamp work of the bus shelters is in progress at a brisk pace. As a part of the exercise, the bus stops will get additional features such as granite flooring, planter boxes with LED lighting, heat-resistant rooftop, special display effects, drinking water supply, digital board that displays timings of the bus services and routes, comfortable benches and fans.

“In addition, a proposal to facilitate bio toilets at the transformed bus shelters is made. Once the work gets completed, the maintenance part will be entrusted to agencies through the Town Planning Department. Based on the requirement plus passengers’ flow, each bus stop would be developed up to 36 meters,” explains TVV Satyanarayana Raju, Superintending Engineer (II) of Public Works.

Among all, the 222 bus stop near Dwaraka bus station and RK Beach to be developed as the largest shelters. Depending on the crowd that arrives at the stop, the cost to be spent on each bus bay varies from Rs 25 lakh to Rs 40 lakh.

In most bus stops in the city, there are no shelters to provide shade to those waiting for the bus. During hotter days, it would be a horrendous exercise for the public to wait for the bus at the spot as a number of stops are in a bad condition.

Sharing details with The Hans India, Municipal Commissioner CM Saikanth Varma, says, “The idea is to increase passenger convenience and add to the smart city features. The revamped bus shelters will be made accessible to the passengers in a time bound manner as the first phase of the project has already commenced. Most probably, they are likely to be completed by the end of this month.”

Currently, Gurudwara, Venkojipalem, Maddilapalem, NAD, Visakhapatnam Airport, four directions of RTC complex, RK Beach, Gajuwaka and Jagadamba are some of the junctions where the work neared completion.

However, a section of environmentalists express concern over excluding parts of greenery in the process of setting up revamped bus stops.