The Times of India 07.05.2013
Guwahati Municipal Corporation to revamp 44 bus stops in Guwahati
GUWAHATI: The Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) has decided to revive bus stops in the city that have been lying in a shambles for several years now.
Out of around 100 bus stops, the municipality will revamp around 44 of them that are thonged by hundreds of commuters everyday but lack basic amenities for the public.
"We decided to restore the bus stops in the city after we realized that the passengers were facing a lot of inconvenience due to poor maintenance. In the first phase, GMC will give a facelift to 44 bus stops. In fact, we recently held a pre-bid meeting with the firms that are keen to take up the task of constructing new bus stops. The bidding process will be over soon and the selected firms will be allotted the works by May," said Mukul Gogoi, additional commissioner of GMC.
The 44 bus stops will be developed under build-operate-transfer model. Gogoi said all major roads of the city will be covered under the project. Under the model, the selected firms will rebuild the bus stops giving them an all-new look and the firms will transfer these revamped bus stops to the GMC authorities after maintaining them for five years. "The passengers waiting for buses and cabs will feel secure under the newly-built sheds at the bus stops. They will be adequate space and sitting arrangements," Gogoi added. The GMC authorities have made it mandatory for the firms to keep 15 per cent of the advertising space in bus stops to be reserved for the government.
Commuters have been waiting for buses and cabs under the open sky in Chandmari, Ambari, Shantipur, Lakhtokia, Bhangagarh and Paltan Bazar for years now. Reviving the bus stops is the need of the hour. The additional commissioner of GMC said municipality also has plans to install solar panels above the sheds. But it will take some time before the ambitious plan of generating solar energy at the newly-constructed bus stops materializes.
Out of around 100 bus stops, the municipality will revamp around 44 of them that are thonged by hundreds of commuters everyday but lack basic amenities for the public.
"We decided to restore the bus stops in the city after we realized that the passengers were facing a lot of inconvenience due to poor maintenance. In the first phase, GMC will give a facelift to 44 bus stops. In fact, we recently held a pre-bid meeting with the firms that are keen to take up the task of constructing new bus stops. The bidding process will be over soon and the selected firms will be allotted the works by May," said Mukul Gogoi, additional commissioner of GMC.
The 44 bus stops will be developed under build-operate-transfer model. Gogoi said all major roads of the city will be covered under the project. Under the model, the selected firms will rebuild the bus stops giving them an all-new look and the firms will transfer these revamped bus stops to the GMC authorities after maintaining them for five years. "The passengers waiting for buses and cabs will feel secure under the newly-built sheds at the bus stops. They will be adequate space and sitting arrangements," Gogoi added. The GMC authorities have made it mandatory for the firms to keep 15 per cent of the advertising space in bus stops to be reserved for the government.
Commuters have been waiting for buses and cabs under the open sky in Chandmari, Ambari, Shantipur, Lakhtokia, Bhangagarh and Paltan Bazar for years now. Reviving the bus stops is the need of the hour. The additional commissioner of GMC said municipality also has plans to install solar panels above the sheds. But it will take some time before the ambitious plan of generating solar energy at the newly-constructed bus stops materializes.
