Integrated bus stand seems a distant dream By C. Jaisankar in The Hindu Trichy on 3.6.2019 with M.A.Aleem comment

Integrated bus stand seems a distant dream

C. Jaisankar

TIRUCHI, JUNE 03, 2019 00:00 IST

UPDATED: JUNE 03, 2019 05:50 IST

Various government sites have been considered in the last 25 yearsThe existing 6-acre Central Bus Stand is cramped for spaceAs many as 2,500 bus services are being operated from the bus stand every day

The Tiruchi City Corporation ‘turned 25’ on Saturday as it was on this day in 1994 that the erstwhile Srirangam Municipality and Golden Rock Municipality were merged with the Tiruchi Municipality. The proposal to construct an integrated bus stand to replace the cramped central bus stand is also about 25 years ago. But, the much-awaited proposal still remains on paper.
Several meetings, right from the Corporation Commissioner and at the Collector-level to the Chief Secretary-level, have been held in the past and there have also been instances of Chief Ministers chairing high-level meetings in this regard. But, there is still no sign to bring an end to the long agonizing wait for building the new bus stand.

Various government sites were considered in the last 25 years during successive regimes of both AIADMK and DMK. Devadhanam off the Tiruchi-Chennai Bypass Road, the Ariyamangalam compost yard on the Tiruchi-Thanjavur road, Ramji Nagar on the Tiruchi-Dindigul national highway, Pirattiyur, Panchapur and Kottapattu on the Pudukottai national highway. Many of them were found unsuitable for locating the integrated bus stand on various grounds. Though the Corporation owns sufficient land at Panchapur, it was rejected on the ground that the sewage treatment plant might pose inconvenience to the passengers. At the end of the previous AIADMK government, a high-level official meeting was held to discuss the issue. Among the sites, the 90-acre site at Kottapattu was zeroed in on. But, the government failed to finalise the proposal before the end of its term.
The proposal was renewed after Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami took over the reins. While taking part in the MGR centenary celebration in Tiruchi in 2017, he announced that an integrated bus stand would be established at Kottapattu. He had said that a business model would be decided to implement the project after carrying out a technical and financial study.
But, the proposal was once again put on the back burner with a section of stakeholders were of the view that the Kottapattu site is landlocked by the airport on one side and central prison on another side.
It was also argued that the site could not be developed or expanded further as it was in the city.
With the official machinery taking time to finalise the site, the problems being faced by the passengers seem to be on the rise. The 6-acre Central Bus Stand is cramped for space even after additional space and bus bays were created a few years ago. The available bays and space are not enough to handle the increasing bus services and population. As many as 2,500 bus services are operated from the bus stand every day. The space is hardly adequate for the town and moffusil buses operating out of the terminus. With bus crew vying with each other to attract passengers, chaotic scenes are witnessed at the terminus every day. The situation turns worse during peak hours and at night when a large number of buses queue up.
“The proposal is pending for long. As a gift to the people of Tiruchi Corporation while it is celebrating its silver jubilee, the State government should come out with a solid announcement,” says M.A. Aleem, member, Tiruchi District Welfare Committee.
While echoing the sentiments of residents, Corporation Commissioner N. Ravichandran told The Hindu that he had held a meeting with Collector S. Sivarasu on the integrated bus stand proposal a few days ago. A few options were being explored. A favourable decision would be taken shortly by involving all stakeholders