It’s the same old story at Zirakpur

Satinder Pal Singh

Zirakpur, December 5

Zirakpur, which is considered the gateway to Chandigarh and the neighbouring states, has added a dubious distinction to it with commuters being most unsafe on its roads.

With a population of more than one lakh, the Zirakpur town is yet to have a designated bus terminus. Though the previous governments had promised to construct the bus stand in Zirakpur, they failed to fulfil the pending demand of the people.

At present, the bus stand is being operated from a makeshift shed a few meters away from the Singhpura intersection. As a result, passengers waiting for long-route buses face inconvenience.

It is a common sight to find children, women and men, standing with their luggage in front of the temporary makeshift bus stand, waving at long-route buses to stop putting their lives and those of others at risk.

Long-route buses halt in the middle of the highway to pick up passengers, often blocking the flow of traffic. The problem multiplies when the buses stop one after another and form a queue. Bus drivers form second and third lane, covering the entire stretch, in their pursuit to get more passengers.

“Zirakpur is a major town with a huge population. There is a need for a bus stand here. The authorities should pay attention to the long-pending demand of the people,” said Ankur Grover, a local resident.

Girish Verma, Executive Officer, Zirakpur, said he was appointed two months ago and he has no idea if any proposal regarding the construction of a bus stand was ever made in the meeting. He said he would get the issue tabled in the General House meeting of the MC.

Steps needed to ensure people’s safety

Despite population increasing rapidly and several housing and commercial projects in the pipeline, Zirakpur is yet to have a designated bus stand. At present, buses stop at a makeshift shed near the Singhpura intersection, which is one of the busiest stretches here. Passengers put their lives at risk as they can be seen standing on the busy Chandigarh-Ambala highway to board buses. They have to bear the brunt of inclement weather conditions. Whether it is scorching heat, downpour or bone-chilling cold, they have no option but to wait for buses in the open. Though the makeshift bus stand witnesses a huge rush of passengers, there are no basic facilities such as drinking water and toilets. At night, it becomes more difficult as there is no proper lighting here. There is no timetable of buses displayed at the bus stand. Due to the absence of any designated parking place, people who come to drop their kin at the bus stand park their vehicles on the roadside. It’s high time the authorities concerned wake up from slumber and take concrete steps to ensure the safety of people. — Prabhat Katiyar

Rs 5.5-crore project finds no takers

Earlier, the two-storeyed bus stand built with much fanfare at a cost of Rs 5.5 crore in 2014 seems to have been rendered useless. Reason: The defective and faulty planning in the construction of the bus stand by the authorities concerned as the traffic plan prepared for entry and exit to the bus stand has been prepared without consultation with the National Highways Authority of India.

The bus terminus built in the middle of an intersection, near the cusp of three highways, is yet to be put to proper use because long-route buses do not enter its premises. The buses instead pick up passengers from the main road itself, as has been the norm.