Vellore’s Rs 70 crore multi-level bus stand awaits govt approval

If the project estimated to cost Rs 70 crore is accorded sanction, Vellore corporation officials claim the city will be the first in the state to get such a facility.

According to corporation engineer S Balasubaramanian, the Detailed Project Report (DPR) was forwarded to the smart city board few days ago and a green signal is now awaited. He added that funds were not a constraint as the local body had already been provided with Rs 219 crore. The DPR revealed that buses would depart from the first level of the proposed bus stand, while those arriving would come to the 

ground floor. 

“Considering the possible expansion of the bus fleet upto 2040, the proposed facility will have enough parking space for a total of 400 buses. The upper floor will also have a space for a shopping mall and banks to help passengers have immediate access to cash,” the official said. 

There is also a plan to have a multi-level two-wheeler and four-wheeler parking facility as part of the DPR, while space would be earmarked for town bus services to drop and pick-up passengers without entering the terminus. It was only around two decades ago, the old bus stand located near Mundy Street was shifted to the new place on the banks of the Palar river behind the Seniamman temple. 

Despite the shift, town buses continue to operate from the old terminus while mofussil buses bound for Tiruvannamalai, Neyveli, Cuddalore and Puducherry stopped there enroute to pick up passengers. The shifting of the bus stand was opposed by rice traders who felt their business would  be affected.