Traffic bedlam common in this small hamlet, they want a bus stand now

With no proper bus stand at Hambran village, which is about 20-km away from Ludhiana, commuting has become a problem for residents here. The so-called bus stand at this small hamlet is a room size space, where only few commuters can stand and wait for the bus as there are no seating arrangements.

With no proper bus stand at Hambran village, which is about 20-km away from Ludhiana, commuting has become a problem for residents here.

The so-called bus stand at this small hamlet is a room size space, where only few commuters can stand and wait for the bus as there are no seating arrangements.

The buses come and stop for two to five minutes, which lead to traffic snarls on the main road.

When a team from HT paid a visit to the village, they were trapped in a traffic web and commuters, in absence of proper bus stand, were seen running helter-skelter to catch their buses.

Meanwhile, some buses were seen parked haphazardly on the road, which further lead to traffic chaos.

HT also found that there was no proper arrangement for sewerage disposal in absence of which residents faced lot of problems during the rainy season.

Ashish Arora, a resident, said: "I travel by bus every day and whenever I take a bus from Hambran to Ludhiana it takes around 10 to 15 minutes to cross the main road only, as all buses stop on that road due to absence of proper bus stand. The authorities must come up with a proper bus stand in the village so that buses can park properly at the bus stand."

Another resident, Ishika Joshi, said: "The bus stand exists for name only and there are no seating arrangements forcing commuters to stand till their buses arrive. Moreover, sometimes buses don't stop in front of the bus stop and people are seen running after them. The authorities should make proper arrangements so that residents don't face any problem."

Mahinder Singh, former president of Market Association, said: "The main problem is that we do not have proper sewerage disposal system here and the authorities too are not coming forward with a solution. Every year during rainy season, residents face a lot of inconvenience due to open drains."

Darshan Singh Shivalik, MLA from Hambran, said: "The residents of Hambran have never approached us for a bus stand. In case we receive any demand, we will definitely fulfil it. Further, I am aware that the sewerage disposal is a big problem in the area and we are working on it."