Chennai: Plea for bus shelter falls on deaf ears

Chennai: From being baked in the sun during summer to getting drenched in the rain, problems of Iyyappanthangal commuters never seem to end.

After the bus shelter that residents put up in April this year through crowd funding was demolished within two weeks by unknown miscreants, the local body is delaying to give permission to build another shelter by reusing the remnants, allege the residents.

“Previously, the bus shelter was near Iyyappanthangal bus stop and it would lead to traffic snarls. After numerous appeals, they have shifted the stop 100 metres away from the signal in June last year, but the bus shelter was never shifted, as a result of which people were put in hardship,” said Citizen Senthil, a resident. After nearly a year’s struggle, residents of VGN Nagar Iyyappanthangal pooled in Rs 30,000 and built a bus shelter in the road towards Porur in April, this year and also had plans to build on the Poonamallee side. To their dismay, it was demolished by earthmovers by unknown people. However, the reason is alleged to be political clash.

The police said they could rebuild it after they get permission from local body and other departments. Residents have been running hither and thither from then and are irked over the procrastination of local body.

“The VGN Nagar association secretary sent a letter asking for permission from the BDO special officer of Kundrathur. It has been over two months and 25 per cent of the materials have rusted. If it gets delayed further, we would not have money or material to build the bus stop again. Why is it taking time for the government to grant permission when everything is being taken care of by residents?” asked one of the residents.