Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Bus terminal proposed at MCH junction

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The long-standing need for a permanent bus terminal in the Medical College area will soon be met with the Thiruvananthapuram Development Authority (Trida) receiving administrative sanction for the construction of a bus stand-cum-commercial complex at the junction.

The Rs 4.7-crore project is expected to reduce traffic congestion at the junction and also provide space for parking Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSTRC) buses operating from the Medical College.

The bus terminal will be constructed on 2.5 acres of land owned by Trida opposite the Medical College. The bus stand, which will have its entrance from Chalakuzhy Lane, will include two bus bays with capacity to accommodate eight buses at a time in two rows with a bus shelter of 290 sq. mt. area.

As many as 96 buses can be operated a hour from the terminal. Separate space has also been provided for parking KSRTC buses which may have to halt for more than half-an-hour.

Buses coming from Ulloor side will enter the bus stand from Medical College junction roundabout and leave through the exit gate near Ganesh Temple while those from Kumarapuram and Murinjapalam side will enter the stand at the Medical College roundabout. Sheltered platforms will be provided for passengers.

Under the project, a four-storeyed commercial complex with a total plinth area of 2,554 sq. mt. will be constructed in front of the bus stand. The ground floor of the complex will house a bus station office for KSTRC officials.

The complex will accommodate around 60 shops and will have toilet blocks on the first three floors.

The fourth floor of the building will have a 48 sq. mt. lobby.

The basement floor of the building will also have parking space for authorised taxies.

“We received administrative sanction for the project on December 26, 2008. The process for tendering the construction has already begun and the works will take off within two months. We expect the project to be completed in a year,” said Trida secretary B. Dileep Kumar.

He explained that the commercial complex had been included to make the project viable. The project is expected to fetch Trida an annual revenue of Rs.25 lakh by means of shop and parking space rent. Besides, around Rs.5 crore is expected to be levied as deposit amount from the tenants of the commercial complex.

According to a traffic study conducted by the National Transportation Planning and Research Centre (Natpac) in October 2008, the Medical College road has an hourly traffic volume of 3,200 vehicles during peak hours.

The study indicated that the stretch of road from the Medical College junction to P.T. Chacko Nagar junction requires parking space for a minimum 55 cars, 90 two-wheelers and 30 autorickshaws.

This is besides the short-term parking demands on the road.

The study also revealed that as many as 262 bus trips were operated daily from Medical College to various places.

As many as 1,250 bus trips were operated through Medical College every day.

Road development of the Pattom-Kochulloor stretch, including Medical College junction, has been included in the on-going City Roads Improvement Project (CRIP).

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