Nagpur: In a scathing indictment of the city’s collapsing public infrastructure and administrative indifference, the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court has taken suo motu cognisance of the shocking lack of basic amenities at bus stops across Nagpur, observing that forcing citizens to wait on roadsides without shelter, seating or protection amounts to a direct assault on their right to live with dignity under Article 21 of the Constitution.
The strong observations came from a division bench comprising Justice Anil Kilor and Justice Raj Wakode after media reports exposed the pathetic condition of bus stops in the city.
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Coming down heavily on the authorities, the court remarked that the absence of basic passenger facilities is not just an administrative failure but a glaring example of “failure of constitutional governance.”
“When citizens are compelled to stand under the blazing sun, heavy rain or extreme weather conditions without even minimal shelter or seating arrangements, the State effectively strips them of the dignity guaranteed under Article 21,” the bench observed in hard-hitting remarks that exposed the neglect faced daily by thousands of commuters.
The court noted that lakhs of ordinary citizens, including students, senior citizens, women and labourers, rely heavily on city buses for daily transportation. Yet, instead of safe and dignified waiting areas, many bus stops in Nagpur have virtually been reduced to abandoned roadside points lacking even the most basic civic infrastructure.
The bench also took serious note of rampant encroachments at the ‘Swami Samartha Manewada Road Besa’ bus stop on the Sitabuldi-Besa route. According to the court, vendors and vehicle owners had brazenly occupied the bus stop area while authorities allegedly remained mute spectators, failing to remove the illegal encroachments or restore public space meant for commuters.
The observations have once again brought the spotlight on the deteriorating state of urban planning and public transport facilities in the Second Capital of Maharashtra, where commuters are routinely left exposed to scorching heat, monsoon rains and traffic hazards due to missing or damaged bus shelters.
While disposing of the suo motu Public Interest Litigation, the High Court granted an opportunity to the authorities to rectify the situation but simultaneously issued clear directions to the Nagpur Municipal Corporation.
The court directed the Municipal Commissioner to immediately conduct a comprehensive enquiry into the condition of bus stops across the city and initiate concrete measures for developing proper bus stop infrastructure along with basic passenger amenities.
The Commissioner has also been ordered to submit a detailed action taken report before the Registrar (Judicial) of the High Court within four months.
The court’s intervention has exposed what many commuters describe as years of civic neglect, where grand infrastructure claims and smart city slogans failed to translate into even the most basic facilities for ordinary citizens dependent on public transport.
