COIMBATORE: Questions have been raised over the functioning of the newly inaugurated Ukkadam Bus Terminus-I in the city after activists alleged that the facility was opened without obtaining mandatory approvals and a completion certificate from concerned authorities, despite being a government-owned and operated facility.
According to activists, the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) inaugurated the bus terminus without securing a Completion Certificate (CC), approval from the Regional Transport Authority, a license from the district collector and planning clearance from the Directorate of Town and Country Planning (DTCP), all of which are generally required for operating a bus stand.
The issue has also affected the electricity connection to the facility. Activists claim that since CCMC has not obtained the necessary certification, the temporary electricity connection at the bus terminus cannot be converted into a permanent one. As a result, CCMC is said to be paying nearly Rs 2 lakh per month towards electricity charges, significantly higher than the estimated Rs 1.2 lakh that would be payable under a permanent connection.
K Kathirmathiyon, secretary of Coimbatore Consumer Cause and a member of the district road safety committee, said the rules clearly mandate that local bodies must obtain approval from the regional transport authority before constructing a bus stand. He pointed out that the application should include site sketches, blueprints and planning approval from the DTCP before construction begins.
He further alleged that CCMC had earlier opened the omnibus stand at Gandhipuram without obtaining proper approval from DTCP or a licence from the district collector. The required licence for the omnibus stand is yet to be obtained, he added.
Activists also argued that the absence of a proper completion certificate has become a recurring issue in CCMC's civic infrastructure projects, leading to complications in obtaining permanent utility connections.
Responding to the allegations, CCMC Commissioner M Sivaguru Prabakaran told TNIE that the DTCP approval was not necessary for the project. However, he added that he would look into the issue of temporary electricity connections and utility charges being paid by CCMC and sort it out.
