BANGALORE: Transport Minister R Ashok on Monday said that the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation’s (BMTC) Traffic and Transit Management Centre (TTMC), being built in Yeshwanthpur at a cost of Rs 90 crore, would be completed by July next year.
After inaugurating the new BMTC bus stand at Chikkamaranahalli in Rajamahal Vilas (RMV) II Stage on New BEL Road, the minister said that the TTMC being built in a space of one lakh square feet will have 60 bus bays and a facility to park 400 cars. Ashok informed that Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa had given his nod to construct a TTMC in Hebbal, which will be built under public-privatepartnership model.
“The TTMC will be built on eight acres of land and the work will commence shortly. This would have a facility to park 2,000 fourwheelers,” he added.
Ashok said that a driver’s training institute at Vaddarahalli is also being built at a cost of Rs 11.25 crore.
Considering the lack of parking facilities for BMTC’s growing fleet, five depots are being built, he said.
A depot in Kannahalli on Magadi Road is being built at a cost of Rs 3.5 crore, another in Bidadi is being built at a cost of Rs 4 crore, the one in Chikkanagamangala near Electronics City on Hosur Road is being built at a cost Rs 4 crore, a depot in Siddapura on HAL Airport Road is being built at Rs 3.5 crore and a depot in Hoskote is being built at a cost of Rs 4.5 crore.
That apart, construction of a depot in Kothanur Dinne has been recently completed at a cost of Rs 4.50 crore, said Ashok. He informed that the land acquisition process to build BMTC bus stations near Namma Metro Rail stations was under way. He said the intelligence transit system adopted by BMTC at bus stations and inside the buses would help BMTC achieve schedule accuracy.
He added that the ticket fare of BMTC’s Vayu Vajra Volvo bus service from Mekhri Circle to Devanahalli had been slashed to Rs 80 from Rs 125. Malleswaram MLA Dr C N Ashwath Narayan urged the Transport Minister to introduce BMTC mini-bus services to revenue layouts and residential layouts, as condition of roads is pathetic ese places.
NEW BUS STAND AT RMV II STAGE OPENED
The new BMTC bus stand of at Rajamahal Vilas (RMV) II stage extension on New BEL Road was inaugurated by Transport Minister R Ashok on Monday. Speaking on the occasion, BMTC MD Syed Zameer Pasha said that the bus stand was built at a cost of Rs 60 lakh on 3,276 square metres of land. The Civic Amenity (CA) site has three platforms, a traffic controller and bus pass distribution counter, among other facilities.
He said that the CA site had been allotted by the BDA to BMTC in 2003 for the construction of bus stand. “BMTC had paid Rs 26.04 lakh to BDA for the site. Following litigations in the court, construction was delayed. Finally, the Supreme Court gave its verdict to build the bus stand,” Pasha said.
He said that new bus stands being constructed were nearing completion at Yelahanka at a cost of Rs 89 lakh, Vidyaranyapura at a cost of Rs 66 lakh and Bidadi at a cost of Rs 2 crore.