PONDA: The road leading to Ponda Kadamba Transport Corporation Limited (KTCL) bus stand has once again deteriorated with huge potholes due to monsoon.
Last year, the road leading to the KTCL bus stand and RTO Office, Ponda caused great inconvenience not only to the bus drivers bus also to the pedestrians, college students and riders visiting the RTO Office for their official work.
A social worker Viraj Sapre said, “Highlighting the road condition through news reports, the authorities had repaired the road couple of months ago with patchwork. However, recent heavy rains had led to worsening of the road condition and again potholes are developed where the patchwork was done.
The KTCL bus stand road condition now appears to be similar one that was a year ago. The bus stand is used by inter-State buses and several other buses. Thousands of passengers, who visit this bus stand express unhappiness over lack of its maintenance.”
When Herald asked the KTCL bus stand staff at the control room about the road condition, they said, “The KTCL had requested the PWD long back for hot-mix carpeting.”
Meanwhile, the 30-year-old KTCL bus stand shed is already declared unsafe for use and closed for shelter of passengers as it is on verge of collapse. A small temporary shed has been erected for the passengers to protect from rain and sun. But the passengers say it’s too small for them and many of them face hardship in the rains. The passengers, bus drivers have demanded attention of the authorities concerned and solve the problem on urgent basis.
A KTCL official said, “The repair of bus stand shed is in the offing and after completion of work it can be used by passengers for taking shelter.”
When asked PWD Executive Engineer Sadana Shet Bandekar (Div XVIII), said, “Soon the road will be repaired. The department has already sent a proposal for the repair of road to the higher authorities and is waiting for an approval. The department is constantly doing a follow up on the matter.”
