KOCHI: Commuters and private bus operators have had a harrowing time for over a year after the main carriageway of the Vyttila Mobility Hub degenerated into a mesh of craters and cracks.
The bus operators, while questioning the rationale behind the collection of user fees, even threatened to boycott the integrated multi-modal transportation terminal, citing that the uneven carriageway has resulted in increased maintenance cost of buses.
Now there is light at the end of the tunnel. The work to restore the carriageway, besides the setting up of some additional amenities at the passenger waiting arena, is set to commence in a couple of weeks when the tendering process is expected to get complete. The Cochin Smart City Mission Ltd (CSML) is executing the project for the Vyttila Mobility Hub Society (VMHS).
“The carriageway repair work will start in the first week of December. The tender for the Rs 4.94-crore project has been already floated and the technical bids will be opened on November 21. We need a maximum of two weeks for evaluation of the bids and the awarding of the contract,” said a senior CSML official.
The scope of the work also includes bus bay lighting, setting up of fans, more seating arrangements, and proper signages.
“We’ve already completed the restoration of the service road and the setting up of drains. Now the service road is well lit and we are set to install proper lighting facilities at the passenger waiting areas as well,” the official said.
Open space devpt soon
Meanwhile, two firms have been zeroed in for the Rs 4.62-crore ‘Open Space development’ at the hub, which includes a ‘Nature-theme’ park. The same would come up adjacent to the bus waiting bays of the terminal.
“We are in the final stage of the tendering process and the work will be awarded in a week. The project involves developing the 5.5-acre land behind the 13 bus bays into a green landscape where passengers can unwind, which will also serve as a recreational park for local residents. There will be six access paths from the bus bays to the park. Also, CCTV cameras will be installed at both the entry and exit points to facilitate user fee collection,” the official said.
Angamaly KSRTC depot renovation on cards
Meanwhile, the same issue, sinking of tiled portions, also plagued the Angamaly KSRTC bus station, a main stopover, for long. Now the work to repair and restore the carriageway of the Angamaly station too will start soon. “The work was being postponed due to fund paucity. Now, Angamaly MLA Roji M John has agreed to allocate Rs 35 lakh from his MLA fund to carry out the repair work which will start soon,” a senior KSRTC official said.