SARDAR PATEL BUS STAND LACKS BASIC AMENITIES

SARDAR PATEL BUS STAND LACKS BASIC AMENITIES

1-OCT-ENG 20

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

ARA---------------------------Thousands of passengers using the Sardar Patel Bus Terminal (Arrah)—the only one in the Bhojpur district—are facing immense hardship due to a severe lack of basic amenities. Although the Municipal Corporation generates lakhs of rupees in monthly revenue and taxes from this inter-state bus stand, the standard of facilities for passengers remains alarmingly poor and disappointing.

Dozens of long-distance buses operate daily from this terminal to various districts in Bihar, as well as to Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, West Bengal, and Chhattisgarh. Despite the high volume of travelers, there are no arrangements for clean drinking water. The RO water filters installed for passenger convenience have been out of order for a long time, forcing travelers to buy bottled water from the market.

The lack of adequate toilet facilities causes significant inconvenience not only to passengers but also to bus drivers and conductors. Female passengers, the elderly, and children bear the brunt of this shortage. Furthermore, the Municipal Corporation’s failure to ensure regular cleaning has led to heaps of filth accumulating across the premises, creating a risk of infectious diseases.

Conditions at the bus terminal become dire during the rainy season. There is no safe or well-organized passenger shed (waiting area) for travelers to sit or wait. To escape waterlogging and rain, passengers are forced to take shelter near dilapidated structures or in unsafe locations. The lack of infrastructure development, despite the terminal generating substantial revenue for the Municipal Corporation, reflects administrative apathy.

Local residents and passengers have appealed to the Municipal Corporation and the district administration to take immediate cognizance of the terminal's deplorable condition. Commuters have demanded the immediate repair of all non-functional RO water filters, the construction of new and hygienic toilets, the restoration of regular cleaning services, and the erection of sturdy sheds or waiting areas for protection against the rain, so as to provide relief to the general public.