Police booth as bus shelter in Chintadripet

At this stop, commuters take shelter under the sun shades of a police booth installed by the Chintadripet police.

If the alien researcher-journalist Ford Prefect from Adam Douglas’ The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy (an old sci-fi work from Britain that was multi-channel in its reach as radio and television series and a novel) were to visit Chennai now to introduce a new chapter, one on bus shelters, in a revised edition of the guidebook for inhabitants across the galaxy, he would be presenting a picture from Chennai that would not only be misleading but also confusing.

Based on his observation of the relocated Power House bus stop on Arcot Road, Mr. Prefect would remark that bus shelters ruthlessly cleave a road into two. The reality: this bus shelter is situated right in the middle of the road. (The Hindu Downtown had dwelt on that reality in its edition dated July 21, 2024, pointing out that this reality is fraught with danger for commuters). In the same breath, Mr. Prefect might add that bus shelters are made of crudely-cut metal sheets.

The reality: Chennai Metro Rail Limited has rustled up a few bus shelters in relocated bus stops with metal sheets and rods at hand in their work site — ready examples include the one on RK Mutt Road near the GCC-run Fish Market and again the afore-mentioned Power House bus stop. He might even append a note: when they are built with material more closely identified with the soil, namely brick, the bus shelter sports walls that are painted with brick designs. His point of reference for this observation would be from a bus stop on East Cooum Road in Chintadripet (near Ayyamudali Street).

Relocated from another spot on the same road one year ago (according to commuters), the bus stop borrows a shelter from a government line agency whose workaday functions are a galaxy removed from its purpose in life. Commuters take shelter under the sun shades of a police booth installed by the Chintadripet police. The walls of the booth sport the brick design characteristic of police stations. The image was taken on July 23, 2024.

In the weeks to come, there would be updates in The Hindu Downtown about how this chapter on “Bus Shelters In Chennai” is shaping up under the “authorship” of Mr. Prefect. Readers can also write in to this section titled “Relocated bus stop, unlikely bus shelter” bringing to our notice any oddly-designed or oddly-located bus shelter from any part of Chennai.

It could probably pass muster as a shed for keeping gardening resources till the seed packets suffer a rain bath. It could probably pass muster as a cattle shed till the bovines moo in protest. It could probably pass muster as a bus shelter till commuters look around, really look around and see what they have been sold.

This bus shelter serves commuters at the Narayanapuram bus stop in Pallikaranai on Tambaram Velachery Main Road. It is a relocated bus stop. A commuter points out the old bus stop was just 50 metres away, and based on information made available to him, he thinks this new location for this bus stop is going to be permanent. Stormwater drain work is being executed on this section of Tambaram Velachery Main Road (which is under the state highways) and being around the side of the road is unsettling for any road user. It certainly is for bus commuters at this shelter when the skies open up and showers down on it.