Kottayam: Commuters at the KSRTC bus stand and nearby autorickshaw stands in Kottayam may need more than caution — a helmet and even an insurance policy could well be lifesavers.

The windows of a three-storey building adjacent to the KSRTC stand are hanging precariously, and chunks of cement have begun to fall from the structure. The building houses the KSRTC District Office on its upper floors, while a canteen operates on the ground floor.

Constructed between 1970 and 1975, the building has long shown signs of wear. Although KSRTC officials have maintained that the office will eventually be shifted to the upper floors when the bus station was redeveloped and that the old structure will then be demolished, nothing has happened. Cracks have also begun appearing at the base of the pillars inside the building.

A few days ago, a small portion of the concrete canopy fell, injuring a taxi driver at the bus stand. Meanwhile, the toilet block located along the footpath on TB Road has become detached from the main building and appears on the verge of collapse. Cement has been applied to the bottom portion of the caved-in structure, and gaps formed due to the detaching of the toilet complex have been temporarily covered with wooden planks. The septic tank is full and leaking, spreading a foul stench across the surrounding area.