CHENNAI: The Broadway bus terminus, one of the largest in north Chennai, may become Tamil Nadu’s first multi-modal transport hub that will be operated by a private company. The Greater Chennai Corporation is seeking a private company which will operate the transport hub, which will also accommodate commercial establishments, Express has reliably learnt.
The move will help in integrating various transport modes including Metro Rail, MTC buses and autorickshaws so that people have an easy commutation.
It is learnt that the draft feasibility report for the complex has been submitted to the Corporation by property consultant Jones Lang Lasalle. Now the civic body is in the process of selecting a private operator for the transport complex.
An official told Express that the prime thrust of the complex at Broadway terminus is to monetise the land as well as integrate multiple modes of transport. “It is a redevelopment of Broadway bus stand with the aim to develop a multi-modal transit hub connecting all transport nodes,” he said.
The first idea to develop the Broadway bus terminus was made in 2010 in the Chennai Comprehensive Transportation Study by the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA). It had suggested to build a multi-storeyed parking facility at the cost of Rs 20 crore in the bus terminus.
However, the project was shelved by the Corporation and in December 2017, it proposed a multi-modal transport complex on the 1.5-acre land of the bus terminus.
The Corporation official also said the Chennai Corporation was planning to have such transport complexes on its lands in other places also.
Sources said the Tamil Nadu Transport Corporation, which requires an investment of Rs 2,000 crore to replace non-functional fleet, is also planning to similarly redevelop the bus depots to accommodate commercial, retail and residential real estate sectors. The redeveloped bus depots are proposed to have three separate zones. These include the bus area, the commercial area and the residential apartment area.