In the absence of a bus shelter, passengers wait under the scorching sun at Five Roads Junction in Salem on Saturday. | Photo Credit: LAKSHMI NARAYANAN E
Commuters using the public transport system in Salem city have demanded the Corporation to install green shade nets at bus stops without shelters.
With the temperature in Salem district hovering between 39 degree Celsius and 42 degree Celsius for almost a month now, the movement of people has reduced drastically during noon in the city. People waiting in bus stops without proper shelters want the civic body to install shade nets, so that they could escape the searing heat.
V. Sumathi, a resident of Five Roads who works in a garment company, said that the bus shelter at Five Roads Junction was demolished a few years ago during the construction of a two-tier flyover. After that, people are forced to wait for bus under the scorching sun in front a private hospital. Without shade, it is extremely difficult to wait for bus during noon hours, she added.
R. Moorthy, a resident of Hasthampatti, said that a few years ago the civic body had installed green shade nets during summer at bus stops. But now, even though the temperature was high, shade nets were not installed. The civic body should take steps to install green shade nets immediately at places where people waited in the open for buses. Similarly, steps should be taken to provide bus shelters in places that lacked one, and the damaged shelters should be repaired at the earliest, he said.
The Salem Corporation officials said that green shade nets would be installed at select places in the city soon.
