Tags:
Journalism of Courage
What kind of image comes to your mind when you think of the word bus-stop8217;? Some lack-lustre and dilapidated construction you8217;d rather not see! In fact, you8217;d love to avoid it, except that you really do not want to miss the bus. So, would you ever dream of designer bus-stops in Pune? Well, the Pune Municipal Transport PMT has made this possible. The rickety bus-stops have been given a much-needed face-lift, as the neglected look has been replaced by a glamorous one. Gone are the days of tobacco-stained shelters. This is the time of eye-catching and bright red-coloured poles with glossy, illuminated and attractive advertisements. The latest beauty spots of our city? The new bus-stops, which are a feast to the eyes and the talk of the town.
Behind this new look are the efforts of P.M. Bayas, general manager, PMT, and Shyam Mankar, former chairman, PMT. Thanks to their creativity, bus-stops have transcended from being mere waiting stops to something else entirely. Says Mankar, 8220;We wanted to provide our citizens with nice shelters that would also protect them from the sun and rains. These bus-stops have been built at new sites. Having them around has helped in crowd management, as people do not crowd at any one particular stand. Also, buses for different routes need not stop at just that one marked stop. This creates traffic problems during peak hours since the buses would line up, one after the other.8221;
8220;Around 550 old bus-stops cannot be touched as they are bound by contract for five years, till March 2000,8221; says Bayas. The agreement between the PMT and the builders says that the latter do not have to pay the former for the first three and a half years after the construction. If the party wants to extend its contract for another year, the PMT will receive a rent of Rs 1,000 per month. If he wants to extend it further by an additional year, a rent of Rs 1,500 per month is charged. For a period of five and a half years to seven and a half years, the PMT will receive a rent of Rs 2,000 per month. If after three and a half years, the party wishes to discontinue, then the PMT becomes the owner of the property.
The Dadhe Group has constructed nine bus-stops so far. 8220;We plan on making 21 more this year,8221; says its managing director, Aditya Dadhe. His father, Jayant Dadhe, says, 8220;This inspiration was drawn from the Pune-Bremen Chowk, inaugurated in September 1998. It was part of the city beautification project. The new bus-stops aim at renovating Pune. We have invested without any profit motive.8221; Hitendra Advertising has built eight bus-stops so far, and plans to make another 50.
The design of the new stops has been borrowed from Singapore while the construction material has been imported from Germany. The stops have also become non-conventional advertising media 8211; the PMT has a one-year contract with ACC Cement, Rajashree Cement, Chakson, Onida and others for displaying their advertisements at these new stops. The client will pay them Rs. 6,000 to 7,000 per month, with an advance payment for three months.
This is not the end of PMT8217;s innovativeness. Says the general manager, 8220;I am thinking of implementing an in-bus facility which will help the commuter know the number of stops he has to get down after.8221; Guess Puneites have a lot to look forward to!
