20 new bus bays will be constructed in Visakhapatnam, says GVMC Commissioner

GVMC Commissioner C.M. Saikanth Varma announced 20 new bus bays to be built in Visakhapatnam, with modular toilets for public convenience.

Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) Commissioner C.M. Saikanth Varma has said that apart from the 20 bus bays, which are in completion stage, another 20 bus bays will be constructed by the GVMC at various places in the city as part of the second phase, very soon. He said that the corporation will also install modular toilets in all the bus bays for the public convenience.

Addressing a press conference at the GVMC office here on Saturday, Mr. Saikanth Varma said that the bus bays are being constructed keeping in view the passenger footfall in the region as well as the demand, but not being set up just randomly. The GVMC has come up with an exclusive structural design with all basic amenities for the bus bays and is executing it on ground. To ensure there is no traffic obstruction, a separate lane is created inside the bus bay, such that the buses can come inside and park.

Mr. Saikanth Varma said that the GVMC has taken a serious note of the recent incident, in which the roof of an under-construction bus bay tilted to a side near the RTC complex. He said that the contractor and Engineering Department authorities did not follow the design of the bus bay, which led to the mishap. “We have blacklisted the contractor and a disciplinary action is being initiated against the Engineering Department officials concerned. This action is a message to every official that such issues will not be tolerated,” he added.

Mr. Saikanth Varma also said that as part of ‘Green My Street’ challenge, the GVMC will be taking up plantation of around 10,000 saplings in this month, starting September 2. As part of the challenge, the GVMC has identified various colonies and streets, where this sapling plantation programme will be held to provide good canopy, he said.

The GVMC Commissioner also said that since June, the enforcement teams which were formed as part of ‘Eco-Vizag’ campaign to fight against plastic, have conducted as many as 63,415 raids on various establishments. The teams have seized over 4,200 kg of plastic and collected a fine of around ₹38 lakh, he added.