The manner in which a woman was crushed to death by a KSRTC bus at the central bus station on Tuesday has proved why passengers need a safe and segregated right of way at the Thampanoor terminal. As per the original plan, the idling and operating areas for buses were planned in such a way that it wouldn’t affect pedestrians. But, what happens here is absolute chaos.
People strain their way through the cattle traps at the entry and exit points as buses arrive and depart, just a whisker away from accident. Although officials said that there was a pavement for pedestrians, the design is so ineffective that people have to be wary of interstate buses as well as the vehicles that rush towards the parking area.
A former Kerala Transport Development Finance Corporation (KTDFC) official – who was associated with the project – said that safe walking corridors should begin from the entry and exit points to the bus bays and passengers should use this corridor. However, most of them alight and head towards the operating area, thereby increasing the risks of accidents. “I am aware of the accidents that have happened at cattle traps, but the path near the entry point is filled with filth. In my hurry to get a bus, I would prefer a shorter route, which is the cattle trap,” said K Sankaran, a businessman from Kadakkal.
The national urban transport policy also stresses on pedestrian safety and calls for a separate path for pedestrians. “All states have been told to work out plans with focus on pedestrian safety. A safe walking corridor is a necessity at every bus terminal,” said B G Sreedevi, director of Natpac.
The fish-bone design of bus-bays – which provide parking avenues at an angle of 45 degrees – is underutilized since the terminal now handles a much larger fleet than the planned capacity. Although the plan was to devote 26 bays for moffusil services and move the interstate and inter-district services to Enchakkal and then connect both stations by a chain service, Enchakkal station is far from ready to put this plan in motion.
News: Times of India