Vellore to get a new bus

terminus work begins in

January
AIM:
REDUCE THE TRAFFIC CONJECTION

OBJECTIVES:

TO IMPROVE
Vellore City Municipal Corporation (VCMC) is going to build a new bus
terminus in the city under the Smart Cities mission. The construction is
expected to commence from January after getting preliminary clearances, and
is expected to be completed by December 2021. The bus terminus entails a total
estimated cost of 45.61 crore in an existing land of 9.25 acres.

According to reports, a two-tier bus terminus was initially proposed, but after
soil tests were conducted by experts, it was decided to construct a single-tier
bus terminus with all modern facilities.
The bus terminus will feature 84 bays including 11 idle bays and eight bays for
local bus services. It will also hold a car parking facility, a two-wheeler parking
space, a reverse osmosis water plant, a toilet block, feeding rooms for mothers,
and 60 commercial shops on the ground floor and first floor.

A meeting was held last week to hear the views of stakeholders. Auto-rickshaw
drivers, bus owners association representatives and political party
representatives shared their views on improving the existing bus stand. At the
end of the meeting, it was proposed that buses be operated from four places in
Vellore during the construction of the new bus stand.
“The proposed bus stand will come up at a sprawling area of 9.25 acres. It
will have 84 bus bay, 65 active bus bay, 11 idle bay, 8 for city buses. Separate
tracks will be earmarked for buses entering into the terminus and exiting,”
said Seenivasan, Vellore city municipal corporation engineer.

Basic amenities including restrooms and feeding rooms for lactating mothers
will also be part of the infrastructure the bus terminus will have.

Relocation of existing terminus

In order to facilitate construction works, the existing New Bus Stand will be
relocated to four places that included the Old Bus Stand from where only
town buses are being operated now, Anna Kalaiarangam, Chittoor bus stand
at Katpadi and the Lorry Shed located on Fort Road in the city.
“As many as 750 buses are being operated from the existing New Bus Stand
to different destinations within and outside the district. These buses will be
operated from the four places we have identified,” the engineer informed.
Associate professor of civil engineering, VIT, P Sasanka, pointed
out the absence of markings for pedestrian pathway and crossings
on arterial roads where both pedestrians and motorists are
confused due to haphazard movement of vehicles. He offered to
prepare plan for traffic in the city.

Operate from four places

At the end of the meeting, it was proposed that buses be operated
from four places in Vellore during the construction of the new bus
stand.
Buses bound for Tiruvannamalai, Arni and Polur would be
operated from Anna Kalai Arangam on Anna Salai; buses to
Vaniyambadi, Tirupattur, Dharmapuri, Hosur, Salem and
Bengaluru from Manga Mandi; buses to Katpadi and beyond from
Chittoor bus stand; and buses to Chennai, Kancheepuram,
Chengalpet and Tambaram from old bus stand.
The facility will get a new multi-storeyed building with shops and
waiting halls
The ever-congested Vellore bus terminus is set to get a new multi-storeyed
building with shops and waiting halls soon. Under the Smart City programme, the
terminus will be spruced up at a cost of ₹46 crore, for which technical sanctions
have been obtained by the Vellore Municipal Corporation (VMC).

VISION 1: To become a preferred Medical - Educational - Heritage - Tourist

Destination

Goal 1: Ease access to the city