Poorly maintained amenities add woes to public at Arapalayam bus stand

Madurai: The lack of adequate parking facilities and overflowing sewage put the public in a difficult condition at Arapalayam bus stand here. Commuters on two-wheelers struggle to find space in the limited paid parking lot at the bus stand, forcing them to park vehicles on narrow roads. This causes traffic disruptions as buses have to manoeuvre around them, forcing other vehicles to wait. "The paid parking space is always full. To reduce the number of people using the space, the prices were increased from Rs 8 to Rs 10, but even then, almost 20% to 30% of the vehicles are turned away as there is no space to park. On weekends, more than 50% of vehicles are turned away," said Sivasubramanian, a commuter trying to park his vehicle in the lot.Another resident Pandi said when it rains, the entire parking area floods with water as it is a bit lower than the road. "As the area is not paved, the paths get covered in sludge, and it is almost impossible to take the vehicle out of the space. Many riders slip and fall because of the sludge." The rain also affects pedestrians and people waiting for buses as it floods the roads. Besides, an underground drainage (UGD) pipeline, which connects a Swachh Bharat washroom and a restaurant in the area, frequently overflows and floods the road. An autorickshaw driver working near the bus stand said overflowing sewage covers the road completely sometimes. "When it rains, mixing sewage with rainwater makes the situation even worse."The poor condition of the Swachh Bharat toilets also encourages open defecation. "Though contractors charge Rs 5 to Rs 10 to use washrooms, they are not keeping them in a good condition," said Pandi.Autorickshaw drivers said they have repeatedly asked the authorities to repair the UGD pipeline in the area, but no efforts have been made to replace it yet.