Build clean bus shelters that will last long

Sir,

Read the recent article “Shelters miss the bus” in SOM dated Jan. 19. The reason for the state of these shelters is that they are built with materials that can be easily vandalised. Hence, it is the duty of citizens to give ideas to Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) so that we can have great bus stops.

I would like to suggest that closed shelters like the one in front of V.V. Mohalla Post Office and on SJCE Road built with cement and bricks are the best for the city. The shelters interior up to 3 ft. including the slab to sit on should be built with granamite tiles (it is not granite) as they can resist wear and tear and are meant for areas with high movement. And at the same time they look good aesthetically. They are easy to clean if MCC buys Tata ace water trucks fitted with pressure washers to clean them.

What the City Corporation has to do:

Tie up with cement companies to build the shelters with ten-year advertising rights on the outer walls of the bus stop like done in Vontikoppal Club shelter (it is an open bus stop), provided they paint the bus stop once every year before Swachh Survekshan.

The inner walls can be used for ads by companies, thus generating revenue for MCC for upkeep of the shelters.

We should remember that all the hi-tech shelters are meant for countries where people don’t vandalise public property. Hence I would request the MCC to consider this idea and build sturdy shelters in the future.

Petty shop with common wall to the shelter:

Next to the bus shelter a small (5ft x 5ft) petty shop (selling ladies items only, so men don’t come and stand there) with common wall should be built which should be given to widows from poor background without any rent and on condition that only she can run the shop and in return she is responsible for upkeep of the shelter.

– Sanjay Kini, Mysuru, 28.1.2019