With the proposed satellite inter-city bus terminals in Madhavaram and Velachery being hit by land and feasibility issues, the State Government is now eyeing Vandalur to set up a satellite intercity bus terminal.
Sources told City Express that the proposal is in an initial stage and site selection is going on at Vandalur.
Interestingly, this comes in the wake of an unfavourable feasibility report with regards to the setting up of a `32 crore satellite inter-city bus terminal in Madhavaram and a lack of adequate land in setting up another satellite bus terminal in Velachery. The proposal for Velachery and Madhavaram terminals were announced during the budget session last year.
The plan to develop a satellite intercity bus terminal in Velachery was delayed due to the proposed monorail station in the area and lack of adequate land to set it up. “We require 50 acres of land to set up the bus terminal. So now the plan is to focus on Vandalur where land is available,” the source added.
Interestingly, the government had earlier accorded sanction to Velachery satellite bus terminal to ease the traffic congestion in Koyambedu.
The project, which was to be taken up by the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA), was likely to come up at the site near the MRTS station, for about 12 acres.
The blow to the proposal came when a monorail station was proposed at the site. As a result, the CMDA put on hold the commissioning of a feasibility study, after ascertaining the availability of the requirements of the monorail station proposed at the location.
Meanwhile, the proposal to have a bus terminal in Madhavaram was also put on hold after the feasibility report found it unfavourable due to congestion in the Inner Ring Road. But sources said the proposal to have the satellite inter-city bus terminal in Madhavaram has not been dropped. “The feasibility report was not favourable as there was lot of truck movement and vehicular congestion in the area. The bus junction needs a lot of movement,” said the source. But then, it does not mean the proposal to have a satellite bus terminal in Madhavaram will not materialise, he added.
“We have kept it pending for six more months till the Highways Department acquires land parallel to existing inner ring road and builds a highway linking the port. Once it is done, the congestion in the inner ring road will ease,” the source added.
The bus terminal in Madhavaram was to cater to buses from Andhra Pradesh and northern areas.