New bus terminus opens to praise and practical challenges

Newly-renovated Rajiv Gandhi Bus Terminus receives mixed reviews from passengers due to space constraints and service limitations.

M.S. Anitcham

The newly-reconstructed Rajiv Gandhi Bus Terminus, which was thrown open to the public on Friday, has evoked mixed passenger responses, with some praising the renovated facility and others flagging a few constraints.

The facility, reconstructed by the NBCC (India) Limited — a Central public sector undertaking, at a cost of ₹15.75 crore under the Smart Cities Mission was formally opened to public use on May 2, after being delayed for long due to various factors since the foundation was laid in June 2023.

Among its many touted features are 42 bus bays, 31 shops, two restaurants, four transport offices, parking facilities for six omni buses, a cloak room, an ATM, three general waiting halls with a capacity of 30 each, an air-conditioned waiting hall, two dormitories, and a parking lot that can accommodate 450 two-wheelers and 25 cars. The terminus also has an information centre, a CCTV room, ticket booking offices, an administrative building and a sanitation complex.

The most glaring drawback that many users highlighted was the inadequate space earmarked for long-distance buses plying via ECR and Tindivanam bypass.

Besides, the smart-city project which has increased the size of the terminus building, is yet to provide adequate parking shelters for long-duration buses that operate via ECR and bypass routes. The space constraints at the designated slots for these services are proving to be a hassle not just for passengers but also for transport personnel, who complain of insufficient parking bays for buses.

With almost all the services getting operated from the facility — 182 buses travelling on the ECR route and 113 buses travelling on the bypass route towards Chennai — there is a jockeying for the limited space by a line of vehicles, especially during peak hours.