In an effort to improve public infrastructure and ensure better upkeep of commuter facilities, Tiruchi Corporation has decided to outsource the maintenance of 44 key bus shelters across the city.
According to sources, there are over 240 bus shelters in the city, with many built using the development funds of MLAs and MPs, and the Corporation directly maintains only about 20% of them . The remaining are already maintained by private agencies.
Under the new initiative, major shelters in Zones I, II, IV and V, including those at Chatiram Bus Stand, Central Bus Stand, Karur Bypass Road, Mannarpuram, Srirangam, Gandhi Market, Palakkarai, Head Post Office, Cantonment, Collectorate, KK Nagar, Melapudhur, Thillai Nagar, Salai Road, Puthur, Woraiyur and Airport, will be leased to a Chennai-based firm for a three-year period.
In 2022, LED display boards were installed at the bus shelters to provide information on bus routes, as part of the city’s ongoing maintenance and upgrades to the bus shelters. The board displays the name of the end stop in both Tamil and English, followed by the routes on which the buses halt. The project, initially launched on a pilot basis, was expanded following positive feedback.
Despite these upgrades, several shelters in locations such as Palakkarai, Khajamalai, Melapudur, Thennur, Woraiyur, Varaganeri, Gandhi Market, Mambalasalai, and Marakkadai continue to lack basic amenities, including proper seating and digital route displays. In some areas, shelters remain damaged or partially encroached upon by vendors, causing inconvenience to passengers, particularly women, senior citizens, and school and college students.
Passengers have urged the Corporation to prioritise improving basic infrastructure at bus stops. The lack of functional shelters, they say, not only subjects commuters to harsh weather but also contributes to traffic congestion and increases the risk of accidents.
Published – December 06, 2025 06:46 pm IST
