A bus stand is a place where the buses arrive or depart. In a way it is a terminal. People who go for road transport between two places either take their bus to reach their destination from a bus stand or get down at their destination on the bus stop. People may often even change buses on a stand if one bus does not take them directly.
A bus stand is usually located in either the centre of the city or in some strategic location to be accessible to a majority of the people.
Purpose of a bus stand
A bus stand is a part of a city’s transport infrastructure. When people go from one city, town or village to another the bus stand serves as a central area for all passengers to disembark and find their way to the required address. These places usually have rickshaw or taxi stands close by to transport people elsewhere. Similarly people who want to embark a bus have a standard convenient location to do so.
Description of a bus stand
A bus stand typically is located in a large open area or on multiple levels in a smaller area. It has many platforms along which the bus heading to a destination can stand for the people to get on. All the platforms have the details displayed about the number of the bus, the destination and the stops in between.
There are usually aisles for the people waiting in a queue.
The area typically has two openings one for the arriving buses and one for the buses that are departing.
The periphery of the bus stand is usually lined with shops selling goods for travel convenience or food. There are shops selling magazines, snacks, drinks and small everyday items like toothpaste, brushes, combs, handkerchiefs, tissues. Somewhere in the whole plan is a set of toilets. The ticket window is found closer to the platforms. One area is allocated to the maintenance and checking of the buses. It is also sometimes the resting place for a bus after a journey. Close by is a waiting and resting area for the drivers and conductors of the buses
On a regular day, a bus stand is usually abuzz with activity with passengers arriving to get on a bus, conductors calling out or announcing a bus, hawkers selling their wares and more passengers alighting other buses. People getting down to buy food or to ease themselves also add to the scenery.
Conclusion
A bus stand is a place of high activity and an important point in the set up of any place. Often it is the only point of entry or exit in the place for those travelling by bus.
By Janhavi
EdgeArticles 