ASTC bus terminus at Dhubri lacks proper upkeep. Photo: Mukesh Kumar Singh

Bereft of basic amenities and infrastructure, ASTC bus terminus at GTB Road in front of Dhubri Girls’ College in Dhubri also lacks maintenance.

The plight of the bus stand depicts a poor infrastructure and is also a testimony to the lackadaisical attitude of the authorities concerned to improve the condition of this important bus stand.

More than 50 numbers of buses including both ASTC and its undertaking ply from this bus stand daily.  The volume of traffic is increasing day by day.

Passengers bound for Guwahati, Nalbari, Barpeta, Bongaigoan and Goalpara districts of Assam and Coochbehar, Alipurduar, Siliguri, Gangarampur and other destinations in the neighbouring West Bengal use this bus stand in large numbers.

But hundreds of passengers, who wait at the bus stand to catch buses to their respective destinations, have to wait in standing position as there is no sitting arrangement in the bus stand.

There is no arrangement for drinking water at the bus stand. Passengers have to buy water bottles from the nearby stalls adjacent to the bus stand to quench their thirst.

Authorities however claim that there is a waiting hall for the commuters.  But, the fact is that passengers hardly find any unoccupied seat there as the said waiting hall is being used by the staff for official purpose. Heaps of files and other official documents can be seen on three tables available in the said waiting hall.

The condition of the public toilet is very poor and unhygienic. The only public toilet always remains under lock and key. Whiffs of foul smell greet the passengers making it difficult for them to stand near the toilet particularly during the rainy season making mockery of Swachh Bharat Mission.

Uma Saha, a resident of Ward No 5 of Dhubri town told Northeast Now, “I visit the bus stand almost every week and every time face same problems like no lack of drinking water facilities, dirty washrooms and total absence of proper seating arrangements.”

“We have brought the matter to the notice of the authorities concerned, but they ignored us,” he alleged.

Station superintendent Arunav Sarma however refused to buy the allegation saying he has not received any complaint in this regard.

However, he assured that the basic amenities at the bus stand would be improved soon.

Mukesh Kr Singh is Northeast Now Correspondent in Dhubri. He can be reached at: [email protected]

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