The congested bus terminal-cum-shopping complex of the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation at Thampanoor is set to get some breathing space with the opening of the new bus depot at Anayara this month. The depot constructed on three-and-a-half acres of land adjacent to the World Market at Anayara will be commissioned before February 25. “The works are nearing completion. We are hopeful of completing the work by next week,” a senior KSRTC official said.
The new depot, for which land was allotted in 2013, consists of a workshop, bus bays, resting station for crew, and an administrative office. The terminal was built with the aim of shifting operation of buses from the crowded depots at Vikas Bhavan, Peroorkada, Pappanamcode and Vellanad to Anayara. The plan was to shift some of the long-distance services from Thampanoor to the new terminal. However, KSRTC is now having a rethink on this, said the official.
“It cannot be considered a final destination point for buses,” the official added. As of now, the plan is to shift some of the long-distance buses that make a long stopover at Thampanoor to the new depot. At least 100 buses could be parked at the depot at any given time. This could considerably reduce congestion at Tampanoor, he added.
The transport utility in consultation with the district administration would take a final call on the operational utility of the depot. A decision would be taken after the inauguration of the terminal, he added. The depot had been constructed at a cost of around Rs.2 crore, of which Rs.1.5 crore was allocated by M.A. Wahid, MLA, from his local area development fund. The remaining Rs.50 lakh was sourced from the plan fund.
News Source : The Hindu
