Rickshaws parked at a bus stand at Gandhi Maidan in Patna. Picture by Ashok Sinha

Patna, May 17: The state capital residents have swanky buses to travel in but barely any stand to wait for them.

In the absence of proper bus stops, commuters have to withstand the scorching summer sun till buses arrive. The buses, on the other hand, stop here, there, everywhere, triggering traffic snarls.

The state government introduced the ring route bus service yesterday with much hype and hoopla. Chief minister Nitish Kumar flagged it off. But the reality is the government was not prepared to run the swanky buses in the city.

The authorities took cognisance of the ironical situation after starting the service.

Patna Municipal Corporation today received a letter from the state transport department to develop bus stands in the city.

Most of the existing bus sheds are in pathetic condition and encroached upon. Passengers prefer to maintain a safe distance from these structures.

“While most of the time dogs take over the existing bus stops, some of them can be found occupied by drunkards and hooligans. Nauseating stench emanating from the garbage dumped behind some bus stands is simply unbearable,” Prakash Kumar, a bus commuter, said.

The authorities of the bus service provider, Eden Transport, expressed their helplessness over the lack of bus stands in the city.

“In the absence of proper stops, the buses are forced to halt at undesignated places on routes. As our drivers and conductors are new to the place, they are clueless on where to stop and where not. Now, we have briefed the drivers on the designated stoppages although bus stops do not exist at all such places. From now on, they will stop there only,” Shashi Bhushan Rai, the in-charge of Eden Transport, said.

Bihar State Road Transport Corporation (BSRTC) recently decided to look after the lack of bus stands in the city.

“We have sent a proposal to PMC for constructing new bus stands and developing the existing ones. The new bus stands will be covered with ample sitting arrangements. The proposed bus stops will have proper lighting arrangements with information boards displaying the bus movement details,” Suresh Prasad, the chief mechanical engineer of BSRTC, said.

Mayor Afzal Imam said the civic body received a letter today from the transport department regarding the construction and development of bus stops in the city.

“The department concerned in PMC would be asked to initiate work in this regard,” Imam said.