CHENNAI: In a radical proposal, the State government is considering a proposal to hand over Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus to Chennai Metro Rail in a bid to provide multi-modal integration, official sources told Express.
This comes at a time when the role of Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority in managing the affairs of CMBT is being questioned as it is just a planning body.
According to sources, the move to hand over operation of CMBT to Metro Rail is being examined by both CMDA and Greater Chennai Corporation officials. The initial idea was proposed a couple of years ago, though it has not made any progress so far.
The CMDA had developed the Moffusil Bus Terminus and the Wholesale Market Complex at Koyambedu - both sprawling facilities that were the biggest of the kind in the country - as part of decongestion strategy envisaged in the First Master Plan in Chennai Metropolitan Area.
However, it soon became clear that the agency had neither the manpower nor the financial capabilities, or even the necessary powers under the Tamil Nadu Town and Country Planning Act to operate such development projects. This prompted officials to consider various options, including the possibility of transferring the market complex and the bus terminus.
The possibility of merging the bustling bus terminus with the swanky metro rail is being examined as part of multi-modal integration, a strategy that is factored in right from Chennai Metro’s project design and construction. This provides access to metro railway stations for pedestrians, bicycles, bus, and pick up and drop vehicles.
Sources feel the integration of other modes of transport is key to the success of Chennai Metro. Already, Chennai Metro is set to take over Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) to boost the operations of bringing all the elevated tracks and underground tracks inside the city under one organisation.
According to experts, seamless and efficient transfer between different transportation modes is crucial. If the wait at inter-modal points are long, passengers will prefer to use their personalised transport, sources said.
The First Master Plan
The CMDA had developed the Moffusil Bus Terminus and the Wholesale Market Complex at Koyambedu as part of decongestion strategy envisaged in the First Master Plan in Chennai Metropolitan Area.