AC bus shelter to come up in Udupi

The Hindu

 

To beat the heat: The place where an air-conditioned bus shelter will be built in Udupi.

 

Udupi, 06 November 2010: Come February and people travelling to Mangalore can wait for bus in an air-conditioned shelter at the Service Bus-Stand here if everything goes according to the plans of Udupi City Municipal Council (CMC).

 

This air-conditioned shelter will also have a small coffee shop.

 

The CMC also plans to build a room for an ATM centre of a bank near the bus-stand.

 

President of the CMC Kiran Kumar told The Hindu on Thursday that work on the air-conditioned bus shelter was expected to start within a week. It would be built in “C” shape.

 

The CMC had cleared two petty shops and a phone booth in the area to facilitate work on the shelter, he said.

 

The bus shelter on 100 sq. ft. area would be constructed on the build, operate and transfer (BOT) basis, Mr. Kumar said.

 

A two-tonne air-conditioner unit would be installed. The company, which would set up the coffee shop, would maintain cleanliness of the air-conditioned shelter, he said.

 

This shelter would be open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.

 

“We have extremely hot weather from March to May. Private bus operators are expected to start air-conditioned bus service from Udupi to Mangalore in January. When air-conditioned buses start operating, we should also provide air-conditioned bus-stands in keeping with changing times,” Mr. Kumar said.

 

Air-conditioned bus stands would be set up in other places of Udupi later. “A plan to construct an air-conditioned bus-stand in Manipal has been given up for the time being as the Public Works Department will widen the road there,” Mr. Kumar said.