Coimbatore Corporation, it appears, is having a complete relook at the Vellalore bus terminus project.
Sources familiar with the issue said the Corporation was specifically looking at whether construction of the terminus in Vellalore would help solve the traffic problems and aid city’s growth.
The Corporation took the decision to have a relook at the site for bus terminus following suggestions from various sections of society and more specifically by officials from the Chief Minister’s Office, the sources said. The suggestion was mooted to the Corporation when Chief Minister M.K. Stalin was here last month.
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Location
The location of the terminus site piqued the CMO officials, who raised doubts over the availability of approach roads and re-routing of public transport, the sources said. The Corporation has decided to review the choice of location and planned to use the mobility data being prepared by the consultant engaged by the Chennai Metro Rail Limited to prepare a feasibility report for Coimbatore metro project.
The sources said after the decision to review the project, the Corporation officials also stumbled upon the fact that Vellalore was not the first choice for the ₹ 168-crore bus terminus project.
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The State government had initially proposed to take up the project using funds from the Central government under the Bharat Mala scheme.
But it decided on Vellalore and chose to forego the Central government fund, the sources said. Now the Corporation is meeting 50% of the ₹ 168 crore.
District Road Safety Committee member K. Kathirmathiyon said the National Highway’s objection was specific to the choice of the site for the bus terminus.
It felt that in the absence of proper connecting roads, buses from north, east and south would have to pass through the city to reach the terminus. And city buses would have to be redeployed to improve connectivity from the terminus to various parts of the city.
Court verdict
He also cited a court verdict that said buses plying within 55km would have to reach Gandhipuram to underscore the point that the Vellalore bus terminus would go the way the Singanallur and Mettupalayam Road bus stands went.
Buses from Tiruppur and other towns east of Coimbatore continued to go to Gandhipuram and Mettupalayam and Ooty buses did not stop in the Mettupalayam Road bus stand because of the court verdict. As the verdict was in force, the same fate awaited the Vellalore terminus. The Corporation officials said the civic body would take a call based on the traffic study by the metro rail consultant.