Doda bus stand cries for attention

Our Correspondent

Doda, January 10

Potholes, congestion, chaos and stench from garbage welcome passengers to the Doda bus stand.

Residents said during rainy days, it becomes harder to walk due to waterlogging, but the Doda Municipal Committee had failed to repair or maintain the bus stand.

“During rains, potholes get filled with water, making it difficult for the commuters to board buses. The passenger shed at the bus stand is also in a poor shape,” a passenger said.

Ishtaq Dev, a local, said, “Over the years, the number of vehicles and commuters has increased at the Doda bus stand. Even the municipal committee has allotted a lot of space to roadside vendors, resulting in traffic chaos and congestion.”

“Many times, patients get stuck in traffic jams near the bus stand. To avoid jams and create some space, the administration needs to shift heavy vehicles to some other place,” Dev added.

Mehboob Taq, a businessman, said, “The entire Doda town is grappling with space constraints. I have advised the administration to construct a two-storeyed bus stand to solve this problem.”

Doda Municipal Committee executive officer Sanjay Kumar said, “Though the infrastructure of the bus stand has been upgraded, we are still facing space constraints. This has, however, resulted in other problems as well. We are also trying to relocate the street vendors, but they refuse to leave. Also, there is no space in the town to relocate them. Meanwhile, the bus stand area will be blacktopped in a few days.”