VIRUDHUNAGAR: The Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department have allocated Rs 174 crore for the construction of new bus stands in three corporations and nine municipalities in the state. As part of this, Srivilliputhur will get a new bus stand near Athikulam Sengulam in an area of around 4.5 acres. The existing bus stand in Srivilliputhur was built in an area of less than one acre, over 60 years ago. Shanmuga Raj (44) from North Car Street said the area around the current bus stand was always congested due to traffic.
Srivilliputhur Municipality Chairman Thangam Ravikannan said the establishment of the new bus stand would reduce traffic woes. "The existing bus stand has shops, a government hospital, a church, and a market in its vicinity. An average of 18 buses enter and exit the bus stand in an hour. Owing to space constraints and population, the area sees high traffic, making it difficult even for an ambulance to pass by," he said.
Ravikannan further stated that when the new bus stand is put to use, all mofussil buses would make use of this facility while town buses would continue to ply through the old bus stand. "The old bus stand had just six layouts, while the new bus stand would have 18-26 layouts with various facilities," he added.
Officials from the municipality said the tender would be floated and construction works would begin in three months, following the individual fund allocation for Srivilliputhur.