The Corporation’s move to establish a temporary bus stand at Solar Punjai Lakkapuram is moving at a snail’s pace as work is in progress to raise the height of the land by filling with earth soil.
Under the Smart Cities project, development works were taken up at ₹ 39.5 crore in the existing bus terminus in the city in September, 2021. To ensure uninterrupted work, it was decided to establish a temporary bus stand at Solar for buses heading to Karur, Tiruchi, Madurai, Tirunelveli and other south-bound districts.
The civic body owns 51.4 acre at Solar and the work to establish the temporary bus stand began at the place where the sewage treatment plant once functioned. Since it is located 50 metres away from the bypass road, it was decided to establish the bus stand along the road so that commuters did not face hardship. The change of spot delayed the work and the bus stand could not be established as planned. Works were halted for a few months and there was no progress.
Officials said that it would take another three to five months to complete the works after which buses heading to south-bound districts would be operated.
Officials said that a project to establish a permanent bus stand at the vacant land has been taken up with designing work in the final stage. They said that cost would be worked out after finalising the design.