The Hindu 06.01.2010
Bus terminal project completion by March-end
Special Correspondent
| Coimbatore Corporation asked to speed up the work coming up on Mettupalayam Road |
Photo: M. Periasamy. 
REVIEW: Mayor R. Venkatachalam (second left) and Coimbatore Corporation Commissioner Anshul Mishra (left) explaining to Secretary of Municipal Administration and Water Supply Niranjan Mardi (right) the features of the bus terminal under construction on Mettupalayam Road in Coimbatore on Monday. —
COIMBATORE: The Coimbatore Corporation aims to complete the construction of the bus terminal on Mettupalayam Road by the end of March this year, Mayor R. Venkatachalam said on Monday.
The Mayor said this after a review of the works by Secretary of Municipal Administration and Water Supply Niranjan Mardi.
Ramp for cars
The construction of the ceiling and a ramp for cars to reach the roof-top parking lot was in progress.
Dr. Mardi wanted the Corporation to speed up the work.
Dr. Mardi was told that works would be carried out 24 hours in order to complete the terminal soon.
The Mayor said bays for the buses were also being laid.
Once this terminal was opened, buses for Udhagamandalam and other parts of the Nilgiris District, areas north of the city such as Mettupalayam, Karamadai, Perianaickenpalayam and Nellithurai would be operated from there. At present, the buses to these areas operated from the Central Bus Stand at Gandhipuram.
The new facility would help decongest Gandhipuram, he said. Already, buses from Tiruchi and Madurai were being terminated at the stand at Singanallur in the eastern part of the city.
Buses from Palakkad, Pollachi, Palani and Udumalpet were terminated at the Ukkadam stand.
When the new stand on Mettupalayam Road opened, only the buses bound for Erode, Sathyamangalam and Annur would be operated from the Central Bus Stand.
The Mayor said the Corporation was exploring the possibility of using its land at Sivanandapuram near Saravanampatti to build a stand for buses in the Erode and Annur routes.
Gandhipuram area
This would leave most of the Gandhipuram area for the town services, he said.
At present, buses on the Udhagamandalam route used a small stretch of Dr. Nanjappa Road, Sathyamangalam Road, the entire 100 Feet Road and Sivananda Colony to reach Mettupalayam Road.
When the new bus stand would be opened, these roads would be decongested.
As for Mettupalayam Road, the Corporation was considering a proposal to shift the wholesale market further north towards Thudialur so that the bus stand area would not be congested.
