VELLORE: The bus terminus in Vellore city, located at Green Circle, is going to be relocated to four places to pave the way for construction of a new one under the Smart City project.
The places identified for relocating the existing New Bus Stand are: The Old Bus Stand, Anna Kalaiarangam, Lorry Shed at Adu Thotti and the Chittoor bus stand in Katpadi. It has been proposed to operate from these places until the construction works are completed.
"It has been proposed to relocate the New Bus Stand to four places. Discussions are still on, we are yet to take a final decision," N Ramakrishnan, Regional Transport Officer (RTO), Vellore city, told Express.
The RTO, who heads an interdepartmental committee to look into the issue of relocation of the bus terminus, stated that buses plying to Arakkonam, Chennai will be operated from the Old Bus Stand while those moving towards Gudiyatham, Chittoor and Tirupati will move from the Chittoor bus stand located at Katpadi.
Tiruvannamalai-bound buses will be operated from near the Anna Kalaiarangam and the town buses will get a bay at the Lorry Shed in the city.
A total of 1,066 buses belonging to State run corporations including TNSTC (Tamil Nadu), APSRTC (Andhra Pradesh), and KSRTC (Karnataka) are currently being operated from/through Vellore city.
According to Vellore Municipal Corporation officials, the relocation of bus terminus will be done in January, before which basic amenities will be established at the temporary bus stands.
"The New Bus Stand in Green Circle will be relocated in January. We have initiated the process for it. Basic amenities like toilets, waiting shed, drinking water and lighting will be established before operating buses from the temporary bus stands," Vellore Municipal Corporation Engineer V Srinivasan told Express.
The swanky bus terminus to be constructed in the premises of the existing New Bus Stand will have 84 bus bays and facilities for parking two wheelers, rest room for staff and commuters. Rs 46.51 crore was allocated under the Smart City project for the terminus coming up at a sprawling area of 9.25 acre, he added.
Trifurcation of Vellore district had slowed down the relocation activities but would be expedited now.