The construction of the upcoming KSRTC bus terminal in Thevara is in the final stages and the facility is likely to be opened for operations later next month.

According to officials, the department has already completed the construction of a three-way garage alongside the building for station master’s cabin, other administrative offices and a rest-room for employees.

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The works, however, are unlikely to be completed before the earlier planned date of November 1.

“We are unable to finalise the date of commissioning as there are still some major works to be completed before opening the facility,” said K.C. Venugopalan, District Transport Officer.

Upon opening, the department would be shifting the operation of its Thiru-Kochi fleet to Thevara. “The idea is to reduce congestion and give more parking area at the main depot. Once opened, services can be operated from here connecting the Vyttila Mobility Hub as well as to other moffusil areas of the city,” officials said.

Currently, the Thiru-Kochi series is being operated with a fleet of 60 buses, with each bus operating an average of four services a day. Of this, 20 buses operate services connecting the city with the Goshree islands while the remaining 40 have been attached to the Ernakulam depot.

The department is also contemplating reinforcing its presence in the city and suburbs by adding an additional fleet of 30 buses to its Thiru-Kochi series. The proposal, which received in-principle approval from the top management, is expected to materialise with the opening of the new bus yard in Thevara.

Meanwhile, the authorities are  considering a proposal to make the three-acre yard the centre for the Kerala Urban Transport Corporation, a subsidiary of the corporation being set up for availing 400 more low-floor buses under the Centre’s Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) scheme.

The bus station, coming up on a property alongside the boat yard of the Kerala State Water Transport Department, is being set up in the wake of a shortage in parking space at the Ernakulam depot.

Works on the project, which began about one and half years ago, hit a blockade a few months ago owing to uncertainty over the shifting of power supply lines over the project site.

News: The Hindu

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