Jayalalithaa announces setting up of a new bus terminus in Vandalur

Tuesday, 30 April 2013 12:13 administrator
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The Times of India               30.04.2013

Jayalalithaa announces setting up of a new bus terminus in Vandalur

CHENNAI: Chief minister J Jayalalithaa on Tuesday announced the setting up of a new bus terminus in Vandalur.

Noting that the CMBT in Koyambedu was getting congested, she said a new terminus was required. "With a wholesale market nearby, vehicles can only travel at a speed of 10kmph," she said in the assembly. She made the announcement under statement 110 during the session.

Sources in the Chennai metropolitan development authority, which is responsible for setting up the terminus, say that a 65-acre plot has been identified and work will begin soon. The Koyambedu terminus with its 36-acre campus was touted as Asia's largest when it was opened in 2002 during the previous ADMK regime. "All south bound buses from cities like Madurai as well as from western regions like Coimbatore and Kerala will use the new terminus. Buses from Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh will continue to use the terminus at Koyambedu," said a senior official from the state transport corporation.

Of the 2,100 buses that use the existing terminus at Koyambedu, some 1,250 are south bound. The terminus was designed to handle 180 buses plus parking facilities for 60 more buses on a daily basis. However, officials say at least 500 buses crowd the terminus on any given day. The situation gets only worse during festive days like diwali, new year and pongal, when the traffic police make elaborate diversions to ensure smooth traffic flow. Officials from the state express transport corporation say the new terminus will help them plan and manage their timings better.
Last Updated on Tuesday, 30 April 2013 12:17