Commuters urge Coimbatore Corporation to provide bus shelters at all stops in the city

The Hindu

10-05-2025

Commuters, who rely on public transport in the city have urged the Coimbatore Corporation to install shelters at all the bus stops, stating that waiting under the scorching sun is difficult, especially for elderly people and children.
According to sources in the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation, there are over 450 bus stops within the Corporation limits. Several of these do not have shelters.
'There are many bus stops on Selvapuram Road without shelters. Standing under the hot sun is difficult, especially for elderly people and children,' said P. Thangamani, a commuter.
K. Kathirmathiyon, a civic activist, said, 'The Corporation seems to favour advertisers. In many places, additional bus shelters have been erected to increase advertisement space, even though permission has been granted for only one shelter. The Corporation can remove these extra structures and shift them to places that do not have shelters. This would benefit the public and reduce costs. Even in front of the railway station, there are no shelters, though large crowds gather there with luggage. In the past, there have been instances where former District Collectors directed the Corporation to remove such excess shelters and relocate them. New shelters could then be erected, if necessary.'
According to Corporation Commissioner M. Sivaguru Prabakaran, around 150 new bus shelters are planned to be installed at various stops under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode. The project is estimated to cost ₹12 crore and will be funded through a combination of Corporation general funds and private investment.
Currently, the project is in the tendering stage. In the meantime, to address immediate needs due to the summer heat, temporary arrangements such as installing green shade nets at bus stops lacking shelters will be considered, based on public requests..