A Modern Bus Station

Chapter 1
Introduction

The growth and development of bus transportation has closely followed advances in automotive
technology and the improvement and expansion of the national highway network. The first bus routes
were originated by individual entrepreneurs using converted passenger automobiles These routes were
short and service was generally unreliable . As the highway network expanded and more suitable bus
equipment became available, these short, disconnected routes were merged into larger consolidated
operations providing more reliable through services over longer distances Our modern express highway
system and the development of more comfortable and efficient high-speed buses have made bus
transportation the leading means of public transport in the United States . Over the past decade bus
services have evolved into several general operational categories and characteristic terminal types.

TERMINAL TYPES

Intercity Bus Terminal - The intercity terminal is usually found in the downtown core and is accessible
directly by local transit, taxi, and auto . It differs from other terminal types in that it includes longhaul
service in excess of several hundred miles and provides for a much greater number of bus movements.
Land costs normally dictate vertical expansion capability in the denser city areas (See Fig. 1 .) More
elaborate "package express" facilities are provided in the intercity terminal and a greater amount of
concession and rental space is provided to defray higher terminal construction and operating costs.

Airport-City Bus Terminal- The airport-city bus terminal provides primarily for the transportation of
airline passengers from an urban center to the major airports it serves Usually located in the urban
center, the terminal is accessible by local transit systems, taxis, and autos. Oriented to departing and
arriving flights, the terminal normally has provisions for arrival and departing flight information as well as
preticketing and check-in facilities .

Urban-Suburban Commuter Terminal - This type of facility may be located within the downtown core, as
a central passenger collection and distribution node, or on the periphery of the core, as a rapid transit
feeder station. It is characterized by a diversified bus route structure and high-turnover commuter-type
bus operations . Bus accessibility is an important consideration . Grade separated access by underpass or
overpass connections and exclusive bus lanes on connecting highways are desirable to maintain schedule
efficiency .

Suburban Interstate Terminal - The suburban interstate terminal is a peripheral type designed to avoid
the traffic congestion and heavy investment associated with central city and/or airport terminal facilities .
The terminal is usually located adjacent to interstate highway connections with major cities or regional
airports and in many instances serves the increasing outlying "urban sprawl" areas In an increasing
number of cases terminals of this type serve a commuter-type function where the daily journey to work
in the central city may take as long as 2 hours . Sometimes referred to as "park and ride" terminals,
because access is primarily by auto, these facilities are provided with open, paved parking spaces .
Investment in waiting-room and bus-berthing facilities is minimal . The terminal is usually a one-story
building of simple construction .

FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS PLANNING CRITERIA

General functional organization of the terminal is determined by site configuration, the volume and type
of bus operations, and passenger and bus traffic circulation . Although all terminal types to some extent
share common planning problems, there do exist some significant differences in design rationale. One of
the most complicated terminals is the intercity type, since it is often found in a dense, developed area in
the heart of the central city and its general configuration is too often inhibited by existing construction
and high land costs . Moreover, the underlying design rationale should maximize provisions for short lines
of flow and communication between ticketing and baggage functions and the bus interface . An island
plan with the functional elements radiating from the core allows for maximum efficiency. Such a
relationship would allow the "waiting" areas to serve as the central focal point, with all bus berth
positions being equidistant . As the terminal becomes more linear in plan, functional elements begin to
lose their cohesiveness and often require duplication . Although the design of all terminal types is largely
dictated by bus and passenger volumes, this consideration becomes even more significant in the design
of high-volume commuter bus terminals . In such facilities the design is controlled more by bus and
passenger volumes, traffic circulation, and the resultant space demands for large numbers of bus berths,
while baggage handling provisions are minimal or non existent These space demands may dictate a
vertical, multiple-bus-level solution, with intermediate passenger circulation concourses . Traffic access,
by direct exclusive highways on the bus side and by feeder transit, auto, and taxis on the passenger side
are important elements of this type of terminal . Generally, with regard to the airport-city terminal, the
primary planning considerations include provisions for efficient check-in facilities, baggage handling, and
flight information . Moreover, counter space requirements are usually more extensive and should include
weigh-in provisions and conveyors for handling of baggage . Adequate provisions should also be made for
limousine, auto, and taxi access The suburban interstate terminal is perhaps the simplest of the terminal
types . The most

Fig . 2 Flow diagram.

significant planning requirement is adequate provision for parking . Many, if not most of the passengers
drive to the facility and park their cars until their return in the evening, while others may be driven to the
facility and discharged In many instances access to the terminal may also be via local bus service and taxi
It is essential, therefore, that the parking facilities be located so as to minimize the walking distance to
the terminal and that egress and ingreg% be planned to avoid traffic congestion along nearby arteries . If
possible, some covered walkways should be provided leading from the parking field to the terminal
building . Since there will be movement of both vehicles and passengers at the same level, provisions
must be made, for obvious safety reasons, to separate the two as much as possible .Terminal
requirements should include provisions for ticket sales, vending machines and/or small snack bar, toilet
facilities, office, baggage and/or storeroom (See Fig . 2 .)

Space Requirements
Public Seating- Seating in any of the terminal types may be provided in the form of a separate waiting
room or, in a more open plan, in the form of a simple seating area within a larger public space . This
function should be directly accessible to the concourse area and should be provided with drinking
fountains, trash baskets, ash urns, and clocks . The amount of public seating varies depending on
individual circumstances, terminal type, and economic priorities . As a general rule of thumb, however, an
allowance of one seat for every three passengers would be adequate for an intercity terminal . The
passenger quantity is calculated by multiplying the number of loading berths by an average bus capacity
of between 35 and 37 people . A 10-berth loading platform therefore, would result in terminal seating of
between 117 to 124 . In a high-volume commuter terminal, seating accommodations may be reduced
considerably since in-terminal waiting time is much less . This would also hold true for the suburban
interstate terminal .

Ticketing Facilities- The trend in ticketing facilities in the modern terminal, regardless of the type, is
toward open counters in contrast to the antiquated caged windows. In the larger intercity terminal,
where more than one carrier may operate, separate self-contained glasswalled ticket offices may be
provided, each housing their individual open ticket counters . The number of selling positions or agent
stations varies with the individual operations policy of the carrier and the particular terminal type .
Perhaps the greatest number of selling positions are required in the intercity terminal . On the average,
one position should be provided for each 25 to 30 waiting room seats . The lineal feet of counter space
depends on individual carrier operation and the type of ticketing equipment used and may vary between
3 to 5 ft per position and/or about 50 to 60 sq ft per position . The height of the counter is usually 42 in .
In the airport-city terminal the ticketing facilities are usually in the form of continuous counters with a
certain number of selling positions allocated to each airline . The length of each position is determined by
the type of electronic equipment, TV equipment, and scales to be housed and usually varies between 4 to
5 ft .

Baggage Boom- Baggage room requirements vary significantly with terminal type and operation . In the
intercity terminal and the airportcity terminal, the baggage handling problem is more severe. Ideally, in
both cases, the sooner the departing passenger and his baggage are separated, the better . In the airport-
city terminal this usually occurs at the ticket counter where the baggage is sent by conveyor directly to
the loading platform or to a staging area or baggage room, where it remains before it is placed on board
the bus . In the intercity bus terminal the baggage is normally hand-carried directly onto the bus or to the
baggage room, and from there it is placed on the bus . The baggage room should be accessible from both
the public area and the concourse and have an area equal to about 10 percent of the total building or
contain about 50 sq ft for each bus loading berth, whichever is higher The baggage room should also be
equipped with standard metal racks about four or five tiers high for baggage storage.A portion of the
baggage room may be used for a package express service, which and should function without interfering
with concourse traffic. A separate package express counter should be provided . The length of the
counter depends on the scope of the operation, which varies with each location .

Public Lockers and Telephones - Lockers and telephones are revenue producing, and the quantities to be
provided depend to a great degree on their potential earning capacity .

Dispatch Office - The dispatch office controls all bus movement and consequently should be located on
the concourse so that it can observe all loading berths . The size of the dispatch office may vary anywhere
from 50 to 150 sq ft .

Offices - All terminals regardless of type require a certain amount of office space. The specific area to be
provided depends on the terminal size and type . Although usually offices for the terminal manager,
passenger agent, and switchboard are sufficient, in larger terminals more elaborate facilities are
required .

Rental Space- The amount of rental space to be provided for stores, shops, concessions, ate., depends
primarily on the earning potential involved and the amount of space available

PEDESTRIAN DESIGN FOR PASSENGER

TERMINALS
The design of pedestrian facilities for passenger terminals is dependent on the category of terminal and
its pedestrian traffic patterns . Commuter passenger terminals, with extreme but short peak traffic
patterns and repetitive users, can be designed for lower standards of service than long-distance
terminals, where the users are generally unfamiliar with the facility and peak traffic levels may be
sustained over several hours. Detailed photographic studies of the use of pedestrian facilities indicate
that maximum capacity coincides with the most crowded pedestrian concentrations, representing a poor
design environment Many of the elements of aesthetic design are lost in this type of crowded
environment, as the pedestrian becomes preoccupied with the difficulties caused by the close interaction
and conflicts with other persons. The challenge to the terminal designer is to balance the space
requirements for a comfortable and aesthetically pleasing human environment against the space
restraints caused by building configuration and cost . The most recent approach to the design of
pedestrian spaces has been the use of the level-of-service concept On the basis of this concept, a
qualitative evaluation is made of human convenience at various traffic concentrations and this is
translated into appropriate design parameters . For example, it has been found through detailed
photographic analysis that the maximum capacity of a corridor is obtained when average area
occupancies are about 5 sq ft per person and human locomotion is limited to a restricted, shuffling gait
Pedestrians require an average of more than 35 sq ft per person in order to select their normal walking
speed and to avoid conflicts with other pedestrians Human locomotion on stairs and the convenience and
comfort of pedestrian waiting areas is similarly related to average pedestrian area occupancy

Corridor Design
Minimum corridor widths are based on the pedestrian traffic flow volume less appropriate allowances for
disruptive traffic elements such as columns, newsstands, stairways, window shoppers, etc Where the
corridor is also used as a waiting area to accommodate standing pedestrians, the maximum potential
accumulation and safe human occupancy of the corridor should be determined . (See "Queuing Areas,"
below.) The maximum practical flow through a corridor is approximately 25 persons per foot width of
corridor per minute (PFM) . The flow volume that allows for the selection of normal walking speed and
avoidance of traffic conflicts is equivalent to 7 PFM (or less). This standard would be used in passenger
terminals that do not have severe peaking patterns or space restrictions . Where severe repetitive peaks
and space restraints occur, such as in a commuter terminal, the more stringent standard of 10 to 15 PFM
may be used . This standard allows the attainment of near-normal walking speed but does result in more
frequent traffic conflicts with other pedestrians

Entrances
The criteria utilized for corridor design can be roughly applied to the design of doors. The maximum
capacity of a free-swinging door is approximately 60 persons per minute, but this capacity is obtained
with frequent traffic disruptions and queuing at the entrance section. A standard of 40 persons per
minute would be representative of a busy situation with occasional traffic disruptions Where free-flowing
traffic is desired, a standard of 20 persons per minute should be adopted.

Stairs
Human locomotion on stairs is much more stylized and restricted than walking because of the restraints
imposed by the dimensional configuration of the stairs, physical exertion, and concerns for safety . As
with corridors, capacity flow is obtained when there is a dense crowding of pedestrians combined with
restricted, uncomfortable locomotion . The maximum practical flow on a stair is approximately 17
persons per foot width of stairway per minute (PFM) in the upward or design direction. An average of
about 20 square feet per person or more is required before stair locomotion becomes normal and traffic
conflicts with other pedestrians can be avoided. This is equivalent to a flow volume of about 5 PFM. This
standard would be used in terminals that do not have severe peaking patterns or apace restrictions . In
commuter terminals, the more stringent standard of 7 to 10 PFM would be acceptable. Riser height has a
significant impact on stair locomotion . Lower riser heights, 7 in . or less, increase pedestrian speed and
thus improve traffic efficiency . The lower riser height is also desirable to assist the handicapped
pedestrian .

Queuing Areas
A number of different pedestrian queuing situations occur in terminals which affect their functional
design . Linear queues will occur where passengers line up to purchase tickets or board buses. Care must
be taken that these lines do not disrupt other terminal functions The length of a linear queue may be
estimated on the basis of an average per person spacing of 20 in . The presence of baggage has little
effect on this spacing because baggage is placed on the floor either between the legs or at the sides. Bulk
queues may occur within a passenger terminal where passengers are waiting for bus arrivals or other
services . Where no circulation through the queuing space is required, area occupancies as low as
5 sq ft per person may be tolerated for short periods. This allows standing pedestrians to avoid physical
contact with each other. Where movement through the queuing space is required, such as in a passenger
waiting concourse, an average area of 10 or more sq ft per person is required . Human area occupancies
below 3 sq ft per person result in crowded, immobile, and potentially unsafe queues, particularly where
pedestrians may be jostled off platforms.

Escalators and Moving Walks

The high costs of escalators and moving walks present difficult design quality decisions. The units are
generally designed close to their practical operating capacities even though this practice causes
pedestrian delays and queuing Escalator and moving walk manufacturers will rate the theoretical capacity
of their units on assumption of uniform step or space occupancies, but detailed photographic studies of
pedestrian use of these units show that, even under the most crowded conditions, pedestrians will leave
vacant step positions or gaps, thus reducing effective capacity . This is caused by the pedestrian's own
personal space preferences and momentary hesitation when boarding these units, particularly when they
operate at higher speeds . This had led to the use of a nominal or practical design capacity of 75 percent
of the theoretical as shown in Table 1 .

TABLE
Nominal Capacity-Escalators and Moving Walks Capacity, persons per minute
Type of unit Speed-90 fpm Speed-120 fpm
32-in escalator . . . 63 84
48-in escalator . 100 133
24-in walk . . . . . . . . . 60
30-in walk . . . . . . . . 1 20

Stationary stairs should be located in close proximity to escalators and inclined moving walks to allow for
their alternative use in cases of mechanical failure. With a rise below 20 ft, pedestrians will also make
alternative use of these stairs if escalator queues become too long . With high-rise applications above 20
ft, virtually all pedestrians will use the escalator, causing long queues and delays in the heavier traffic
applications . Space for pedestrian traffic circulation and queuing should be allocated at all landing areas.

BUS GEOMETRICS
Bus Date Bus geometrics, or the physical dimensions and maneuverability of the bus, determine the
width of roadways, shapes of platforms, column spacing, ceiling heights, and other aspects of bus-level
design . The apparently insignificant detail of the right-side loading of buses often restricts terminal
design possibilities. Swept Path When a bus turns normally, it always turns about a point which is
somewhere on the center line of the rear axle This is true whether motion is forward or backward . The
turns required to accomplish the movement and positioning of buses are variable and differ considerably
with the equipment encountered The turning template provides a convenient graphic method to
determine minimum clearances required . (See Fig 3.)

ROADWAY RAMPS
Bus Roadway Widths Ten-foot-wide single lanes will suffice for 8-ft-wide equipment. Eleven-foot lanes
are preferable where ample terminal space is available and especially to accommodate equipment 8 ft
wide, the use of which steadily is increasing . Double-lane runways, enabling standing buses to be
overtaken by other buses, provide a great advantage over one-lane runways because of the increased
flexibility of operations that is made possible . For the purpose of merely overtaking another.

PLATFORM TYPES
Parallel Loading " Requires excessive amount of space. " Buses must usually wait until first bus exits.
" Large terminal requires pedestrian under/ overpass facilities to protect passengers while crossing lanes.

Right-Angle Loading " Disadvantages include : 1 Outswinging bus door which forms a barrier around
which passenger must pass . 2 Bus maneuvering difficult .

Straight Sawtooth Loading " Efficient-employed where lot is comparatively narrow and deep " Passenger
has direct approach to loading door . " Baggage truck can operate between buses for side loading. Radial
Sawtooth Loading " Most efficient buses swing into position along natural driving are " Space required at
front is minimum-wide space at rear making maneuvering easy (See Fig. 4.)bus or row of buses having no
appreciable tailout, double-lane runway widths should be at least 20 ft and preferably 22 ft, especially if
extra-wide equipment is to be accommodated -immediately or in the future . However, for a flexible
operation under which departing buses may pull out from the platform around a standing bus, the
runway width and the amount of lineal space at the platform for the pull-out maneuver are directly
related This relationship is indicated by Fig . 5, from which it is seen, for example, that a 40-ft bus having a
16-ft clearance ahead actually uses 22 ft of runway width for the pull-out . This would indicate, for
practical purposes, a runway width of at least 24 ft Also, a total minimum berth length of 40 ft plus 16 ft,
or 56 ft, would be required . Obviously, the shorter the berth length allowed, the wider the runway must
be, and vice versa . Ramping Where roadway ramping down or up, at entrances or exits to runways is
necessary, care should be taken to avoid sharp grade changes which will result in discomfort to
passengers or rough treatment of equipment, particularly when heavily loaded . Here again, where this
factor is involved, tests should be made with buses and allowance made for possible future vehicles
having a longer wheelbase and overhang . Because of the longer wheelbase of buses, critical attention
should be paid to the vertical clearance where a sag curve exists, since required bus clearance will be
greater . Where buses are to enter terminal buildings, doorways and other structures should allow
sufficient side clearance to permit free movement of vehicles and to avoid damage and delay . Door
headroom should be at least 12 ft for typical equipment, allowance being made for any use of the
terminals by deck-anda-half or double-deck buses . Actual dimensions of equipment to use the terminal
should be checked before fixing critical dimensions . Minimum side clearance to all structures along the
roadway should be at least 12 in

BUS STATIONS AND TERMINALS

A bus terminal, or terminus, is the point where a bus route starts or ends, where vehicles stop, turn or
reverse, and wait before departing on their return journeys. It’s also where passengers board and alight
from vehicles. It also often provides a convenient point where services can be controlled from.

The size and nature of a terminal may vary, from a roadside bus stop with no facilities for passengers or bus
crews, to a purpose built off-road bus station offering a wide range of facilities.

If the number of vehicles arriving and departing is low, a roadside bus stop, with no facilities, will normally
be adequate. With a large number of vehicles arriving and departing, it may be necessary to provide off-
road bus station facilities for the convenience of passengers and to reduce traffic congestion.

Terminals versus stations

Although the terms bus terminal and bus station tend to be used synonymously, the latter is normally more
correct since in most cases there are some routes which pass through the station without terminating there.

The term bus station is normally used to refer to an off-road location with at least basic facilities for
passengers, while a terminal may be a fully equipped bus station but might equally be merely a point in the
road.
In many cities the majority of passengers start and end their journeys at bus stations, and a significant
proportion of operators’ revenue may be collected at these points.

Stations and terminals are important elements

Bus stations and terminals are a significant element in the operation of bus services. Their design and
location affect the efficiency of a transport system, and its impact on other road users. Some stations are
regarded more as landmarks than as utilities, and as such are often of prestigious rather than practical
design, which may detract seriously from their efficiency.

Local bus services in many towns and cities are centered on bus stations. Often there are large stations in
the central area, with smaller ones at the outer ends of the routes. There may also be intermediate stations,
especially at points where many passengers interchange between different bus routes, although most
intermediate passengers on urban services board and alight at roadside bus stops.

Bus stations may also be used for parking between journeys for buses which are away from their home
bases. But they should not normally be regarded as long-term parking facilities, particularly in locations
where land is expensive. When they are not required for loading, buses should be parked elsewhere,
preferably at depots where there are facilities for vehicle servicing and cleaning. Buses should not normally
be permitted to park in streets adjacent to bus stations.

Efficient systems limit bus time at stations

If buses are utilized efficiently, it should not be necessary for them to spend much more time at bus stations
than is required for loading and unloading. The requirement to park large numbers of buses for long periods
between trips is often a reflection of inefficiency or excess capacity in the industry. Although it may be
unavoidable at off-peak times if there is a significant difference between peak and off-peak service levels.

In practice it is necessary to achieve a realistic compromise with regard to parking at bus stations. While it’s
expensive to provide parking space at city centre terminals, it can also be expensive and inefficient for
buses to be driven for long distances to remote parking areas, particularly if traffic congestion is a serious
problem.

It may be appropriate for bus operators to be charged for parking on a time basis to discourage them from
parking their vehicles for too long. Calculating these charges should take into account the cost of providing
parking facilities. But it should not be so high that it encourages operators to park their vehicles elsewhere
when this would be uneconomic or undesirable not only to the operator but to the community.

Locating bus stations for urban services

It’s essential that stations are not only constructed to a suitable design and with adequate capacity, but also
that they are suitably located.

There are a number of considerations in deciding the best location. The location should be where routes
should logically connect or terminate, as determined by passenger demand patterns. If the station is used
as an intermediate stopping point on routes passing through, it should be conveniently located for
passengers joining or leaving vehicles.

Sometimes the location of stations for different classes of vehicles is influenced by the catchment areas of
the passengers. For example, the majority of people using air conditioned buses may live in a different part
of the city from those using standard services.

An efficient urban bus route network in any medium or large city will inevitably require a large number of
terminal points, not only at the ends of each route but at various intermediate points where some vehicles
may turn short.

Simple terminal points do the job

It would be both uneconomic and unnecessary to construct large complex terminal facilities at all of these
points. In the majority of cases all that is required is the facility for vehicles to turn, without obstructing or
endangering other traffic, and sufficient space at the curb or alongside the road for a reasonable number of
vehicles to stand between journeys.
It’s often appropriate, where the road layout permits, for buses to follow a loop round the block at the end of
the route, standing between journeys at a roadside stop at some point in the loop, or immediately before or
after it.

Similarly, bus stations en route will be required only where demand justifies their provision. As a guide, an
off-street bus station may be justifiable if the number of buses standing simultaneously loading, unloading or
waiting to depart regularly exceeds 10 or 12, although much will depend on the road layout, and the volume
of other traffic. If the road is very wide and there is little traffic, roadside bus stops may cater adequately for
up to five buses loading simultaneously on each side of the road.

If suitable off-street terminal sites are not available it’s usually preferable for routes to terminate on-street,
even in central areas, rather than for terminals to be sited at inconvenient locations.

Efficient routing minimizes the need for terminals

Efficient routing can minimize the number of routes which must terminate in busy central areas, while
efficient scheduling and regulation of departures can minimize vehicle waiting times. Provided there is no
excess capacity in the system, no more than two or three vehicles on any one route need be waiting at the
central terminal point at any time, so that disruption to traffic can be minimized.

Where bus stations are required, they should be located near to points of high demand for maximum
passenger convenience. The location of stations is often determined primarily by the availability of sites,
and as a result they are often in inappropriate locations, causing inconvenience to passengers using them,
and increasing vehicle operating costs by increasing the distances traveled.

Central area terminals can create congestion

In many cities there are one or more terminal bus stations in the central area. If there is a single central bus
terminal, this is convenient for passengers interchanging between routes. However, if there are very many
bus movements a single terminal may be impractical, requiring a very large area of land, and creating
congestion both within the station itself and on surrounding streets. In large cities, there are often several
terminals, usually located around the periphery of the central area.

Where there are several central terminals, there are normally different terminals serving different groups of
routes or destinations. Each terminal should ideally be located close to the corridor served by its group of
routes. This minimizes the number of buses crossing the central area and reduces traffic congestion caused
by buses. But it may mean that the majority of passengers must walk some distance into the centre to
complete their journeys, and passengers interchanging between routes may be seriously inconvenienced by
having to walk from one terminal to another.

An alternative is to allocate routes to terminals in such a way that every route crosses the city centre before
reaching its terminal. This may increase passenger convenience, but may also increase the level of traffic
congestion, and requires a greater number of buses to provide an equivalent service.

While urban bus services are often severely hampered by traffic congestion, the buses themselves may
also contribute to congestion in the city. In particular, city centre bus terminals can cause severe traffic
congestion through the concentration of buses arriving and departing. This is particularly so where buses
load at the curbside rather than in off-street bus stations.

Operating from suburb to suburb can decrease congestion

The congestion caused by buses terminating in central areas can be alleviated by linking bus routes so that
the majority operate across the city from one outer suburb to another, stopping in the central area for no
longer than is necessary to set down and pick up passengers. All terminal points will be outside the central
area. This means less disruption is caused to other traffic and there is likely to be more space for buses to
stand for long periods, as may be necessary at off-peak times.

Additional advantages from this type of operation are that bus utilization may be improved by reducing the
number of times when a bus has to turn. Additional links are also provided for passengers whose journeys
take them across the city centre.
A potential disadvantage is irregularity of services, caused by eliminating the opportunity to compensate for
traffic delays by adjusting layover times at central terminal points. Although such delays may be reduced
through minimizing bus-induced congestion.

Where routes are linked to operate across the city centre, there can be a benefit in providing facilities for
passengers to interchange between routes. These facilities may take the form of purpose-built off-road
facilities, or roadside bus stops with shelters, perhaps linked by pedestrian bridges or subways.

With these kinds of facilities, the location should not require buses to deviate significantly from their routes;
otherwise much of the benefit of operating through services is lost. However, with appropriate routing, it
should be unnecessary for the majority of passengers to transfer between bus routes in the city centre, and
extensive interchange facilities should not be required.

Off-street bus stations in city centers are, in any case, often a wasteful use of expensive land, although this
may be offset by the development of property above the station.

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Planning Considerations for

Bus Terminal Design
Published by -admin Category -Transportation Published On -09/07/2015  Last Updated On -25/12/2019  

Transportation is an integral part of the functioning of the society. The

transport system improves the social, economic, industrial, commercial
progress and transfers the society into an organized one. It is one of the most
essential services, vital force for determining the direction of development. To
achieve the desired transportation balance and the system to be efficient, it is
essential to provide organized facilities in the system, one such facility is
a Bus Terminal. Buses forms the backbone of the public transport in any
country and might also be the sole public transport available in some cases.
Thus it becomes very important to take into account the planning
considerations for bus terminals design.

As transportation involves the movement of the people and goods, there is a

need of an “access point” in transport system to use it. These access points
are known as “Terminals” or the fixed facilities. Terminals are one of the main
components of any mode of transportation.

Terminals Classification
Terminals can be classified broadly in 4 categories according to the
vehicle/facility they serve. These names are:

 Bus terminals
 Rail terminals
 Airport terminals
 Ports

Bus terminals are predominantly used for inter-city and intra-city movement
because of the higher accessibility of bus terminals. These are the places
with very high volume of pedestrians which might be looking for another
transport mode to continue their journey and reach their destination. There
are various functions associated with bus terminals and a well planned bus
terminal must cater to all the purposes listed below.

Terminals serve as a point of:

 Concentration
 Dispersion
 Loading/unloading of the passengers
 Interchange of mode
 Storage of passengers and vehicles
 Maintenance of vehicles
 Facilities and amenities for the users and crew
 Documentation of movement
 Information system
 Integration of various systems of transportation

Facilitation of these activity makes them more and more user friendly. This
also helps in saving time and money of users along with providing a good
journey experience. The significance of a particular type of activity may vary
depending on location, purpose being served, types of users etc.

Not all the activities take place in all type of terminals and thus the facilities
provided are generally restricted on the basis of the hierarchy of bus terminal.
The mathematical standards forms a part of design and civil engineering and
varies from country to country. No standard measurements are adopted
worldwide as the needs of differ throughout the world. The number, nature
and type of facility increases with the hierarchy which is based upon the
population being served. A workable hierarchy of bus terminals is as follows:

 Road based bus stop

 Road side bus bay
  Bus stop distributed
 Sub-nodal terminal
 Nodal bus terminal
 Inter-city bus terminal and inter-state bus terminal(ISBT)

This article discusses the planning criteria and norms and standards that are
considered for planning and design of bus terminals. Measurements and
exact dimensions have been omitted as they form a part of construction. The
usefulness or functionality of bus terminal is being looked at in this example.
ISBT at Gandhinagar, Gujrat is taken as an example of a bus terminal and is
discussed under the light of the above.

Planning Criteria for Bus Station

In general, the four basic planning criteria for planning of terminals are –

1. Need
2. Size
3. Location
4. Design

1. Need – Need of the terminal arises with increase in the demand. An

organized bus terminal should meet the following requirements

 Accessibility
 Comfort and convenience
 Safety
 Easy processing

1. Size – The following factors are considered to characterize the size of the
terminal and its functions

 Flow of traffic
 System characteristics
 User characteristics

1. Location – The selection of the location should satisfy the following

criteria

 It should form a component in the hierarchy of transport systems

 It should be a component in the hierarchical system of transportation
terminals
 The concentration and dispersal costs should be minimum
  It should be located such that as point of coordination and integration
between inter-city and intra-city transport

1. Design – Following points should be kept in mind for efficient workability

of terminal

1. Segregation of bus and non-bus traffic

2. Segregation of pedestrian and vehicular movement
3. Elimination of vehicular traffic conflict
4. Segregation of pedestrian flows
5. Minimum processing for the buses
6. Segregation of transportation and no-transportation activities

Terminal performance and efficiency indicators

Terminal performance and efficiency parameters for the management of bus

terminal includes-

1. Number of buses that can be handled in one day

2. Number of buses arriving at the terminal during peak hour (handling
capacity)
3. Average alighting time and boarding time (should be minimum)
4. Average bus idling time
5. Waiting time at the counters
6. Fees collection
7. Number of complaints

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