In a move to decongest city roads, the Madurai Corporation is going to shift Arapalayam bus stand to Vilangudi where a 20-acre government land has been identified for this purpose.
This proposal comes at a time when increasing number of city and outstation buses are struggling to move into and out of Arapalayam bus stand due to space crunch.
The Corporation sought the councillors’ approval for the proposal at the monthly council meeting here on Thursday.
The members gave their consent for the proposal when Mayor V.V. Rajan Chellappa mentioned about it while passing the agenda. Buses going to Theni, Tiruchendhur, Coimbatore, Karur, Erode, Tirupur and other places, apart from a number of city buses, operate from Arapalayam bus stand. Kerala and Karnataka-bound buses also originate from here.
“Totally 1,300 buses come to Arapalayam bus stand every day. It has caused traffic congestion and constraints on city roads. Since the space is not enough in the bus stand, it is causing hardships to road users,” the Mayor said while moving the resolution.
The land for the bus stand — 19.79 acres to be precise — had been identified in Vilangudi. Since it belonged to the State government, the corporation would formally submit a proposal to get a G.O for transferring the land.
The bus stand at Arapalayam would, however, be used for Madurai city buses and repair works would be carried out there by the corporation, the resolution said.
Corporation Commissioner C. Kathiravan and Deputy Mayor K. Thiravium were also present at the meeting.
Earlier, councillors belonging to the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam staged a walkout from the meeting hall after raising slogans against the ruling party.
