THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The new traffic regulations put in place at the Thampanoor Central Bus Stand are likely to create chaos, with commuters set to sweat it out for locating the buses to their destinations.
Traffic regulations have been introduced at the Central Bus Stand as part of handing over the bus stand building to TRIDA for road-widening works.
The buses coming from National Highway 47 through Karamana should now take a diversion from Killipalam to the bypass road and reach Thampanoor via East Fort. These buses should drop commuters at the space in between Sreekumar theatre and Chaitram hotel and return via Flyover. This diversion is applicable to long-distance buses coming from Nagercoil and Kaniyakumari too.
Buses from Kattakada will have their last stop near the Thampanoor police station. These buses should also return via Flyover. However, the buses coming from the Ooruttambalam side will be parked in the space between Sreekumar theatre and Chaitram hotel.
According to the traffic police, the regulations are unlikely to create traffic congestion as they have deployed additional personnel to regulate vehicular traffic.
The bus stand building is being handed over to TRIDA for renovation under the project conceived under the Thiruvananthapuram Capital Region initiative of the State Government.
The objective of the project is the upgradation of the existing bus terminal and decongestion of the city roads by restricting the entry of long-distance bus services into the central business district. It is also aimed at reducing the air and noise pollution to substantial levels and thus improve micro-environmental quality.
The project comprises the integrated implementation of Thampanoor and Enchakkal Bus Terminals. The proposals include the upgradation and maintenance of Thampanoor Central Bus Station for short-distance travel, along with passenger amenities and infrastructural facilities. There is also a plan for the construction and maintenance of a new bus terminal at Enchakkal for long-distance travel and providing essential passenger amenities along with the infrastructure.
The Thampanoor Central Bus Station caters to about 1,240 bus arrivals and 1,250 departures daily, out of which 45 percent trips account for long-distance buses and 55 percent for short distance schedules within Thiruvananthapuram district. The Central Bus Station terminal is proposed to be upgraded in infrastructural facilities, with additional platforms, bus bays and bus passenger facilities.
It is also proposed to shift the long-distance buses to other districts of the State and the inter-state buses to Enchakkal. The project is scheduled to be completed on a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) format through Build, Lease and Maintain (BLM) model.
The private sector operator will undertake the design, finance, upgradation, construction and maintenance of both the bus terminals during the authorisation period. Apart from the bus terminus facilities and passenger amenities, there is also a proposal to develop a commercial complex with retail and office space at the bus terminal.
The private operator will be able to recover its investment through lease rentals from the developed office and retail space in the commercial complex, lease rentals from the kiosk and shops on the platforms and passenger amenity fees from the passengers using the deluxe waiting hall at both the stations, parking fees and advertising revenue.