Mangaluru: Despite penalties for littering and open urination, the KSRTC bus stand here continues to be an eyesore and a serious threat to health and sanitation.A section of commuters keep dumping waste indiscriminately and urinating in the poorly-lit areas between parked buses. Officials said a lack of civic sense among passengers and inadequate security personnel have made it difficult to maintain hygiene at the busy transit hub.Madhusudan Naik, the divisional security inspector of KSRTC Mangaluru Division, said: “We penalise offenders with Rs 200 for smoking, and Rs 100 each for spitting and open urination.”However, enforcing rules remains a challenge.“We have very few security staff members to monitor such a large premise,” Naik added. “People dump garbage right next to the dustbins instead of putting it inside,” he further said.Rajesh Shetty, the divisional controller of the KSRTC Mangaluru Division, said: “We‘ve placed dustbins at every single pillar, and continuous cleaning is undertaken. Yet, people spit tobacco and leave food waste around.“He further said: “Imposing fines or increasing manpower is a waste unless the public develops civic awareness. For instance, we cannot physically control people who arrive intoxicated and create a nuisance,” he said.Responding to commuters’ complaints about a foul stench near the parking area, Shetty said he had directed contractors to fix the problem. “We will address the issue of open drainage immediately to eliminate the stench,” he said.Officials urged passengers to use public toilets, dispose of waste in designated bins and cooperate with the cleaning staff to improve sanitation at the bus stand.
