Manjapra/ Ernakulam: With the authorities failing to make the Manjapra bus stand in Ernakulam functional, the facility has now turned into a parking ground for other vehicles. The primary obstacle in developing the bus stand remains the inability to widen the road leading to it, particularly the two sharp curves along the stretch.

With the authorities turning a blind eye, commercial establishments in the vicinity have staked claim over the stand by using it as their private parking space and even erected boards.

When land was acquired for developing the bus stand at Chattupadam, authorities had also planned to acquire space for straightening the two curves on the approach road. However, the land could not be secured. Subsequent panchayat councils also failed to take measures to operationalise the stand. As a result, it has remained unused for the past 20 years.

At present, the road leading to the bus stand is so narrow that only one bus can pass through. This makes it impossible for buses to both enter and exit using the same stretch.

Earlier, there were plans to route the buses through the Thavalappara stretch to exit towards Vadakkumbhagam Junction, but those proposals too did not materialise. Meanwhile, several commercial establishments, including a movie theatre, are functioning close to the bus stand. If buses were allowed to start using the facility, a lot of passengers would benefit significantly.