Pending bills of ₹16 crore is holding back the transfer of the newly-constructed bus stand at Kalasipalyam to the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC).
The cash-strapped corporation had approached the State Government to clear the dues to the contractor. The terminal, taken up for construction in 2016, is almost complete, barring some final work. Sources said that the contractor has been waiting for the corporation to clear the bills and take possession of the property for over a year. Until that happens, passengers remain inconvenienced. Hundreds of city buses by BMTC, Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and private players operate from that point.
At present, in the absence of a functioning terminal, city buses are operated from three points in the area and buses are seen parked on the busy road blocking traffic. With buses parked alongside black spots where garbage is dumped indiscriminately, passengers have no choice but to board in unhygienic conditions. The lack of toilets is another problem.
It’s not only passengers who are upset. A BMTC employee manning movement of the buses in the area said, “Buses are haphazardly parked. It is very difficult to control their movement. If we get a designated space inside the bus stand, it will help. Moreover, people are urinating everywhere due to the lack of toilets.”
Other than city buses, private bus operators also operate from the point to various destinations such as KGF, Hosur and M.M. Hills. A large number of inter-State services also originate from Kalasipalyam.
The bus terminal is spread across 4.3 acres of land with provisions to operate 18 BMTC buses at a time and six each for KSRTC and private operators. The cost of the project is around ₹63 crore. The fact that the handover hasn’t happened yet is a sore point with regular commuters. “Thousands board at this point. Now we risk our lives to cross the road to catch a bus,” said Suma H., a student.
Asked when the BMTC would start commercial operations, V. Anbukumar, MD, BMTC, said, “We are expecting a required grant from the Government to clear the pending bills within a week or ten days. The BMTC has to pay ₹16 crore to the contractor. More than 90% of the project is complete. All measures will be taken to complete the pending works and operationalise the bus stand.”
The BMTC is yet to take measures to provide connectivity between the terminal and K.R. Market metro station, which is around 500 m away. Officials said it will build a link to the metro station from the bus stand.
