Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Sep 4: The city's long-cherished dream of having a well-equipped central bus stand is inching towards becoming a reality. In an important step, tender has been floated for the central bus stand project. The 'Integrated bus terminal and commercial complex development project' will be executed by Mangaluru Smart City Ltd. Total estimated cost of the project is Rs 445 crore and October 13 is the last day for the submission of tenders.

The project will be implemented on Public Private Partnership (PPP) model under the smart city project. After the finalisation of the tender, the contracting firm has to complete the works within a period of three years. The project will have a bus terminal with 180 bus bays, and facilities for private and KSRTC bus services. Bus facility for long route buses will be created separately. Shopping mall with ten lac sq ft space, office space, multi-level car parking facility for the general public etc have been included in the project. This is a totally new bus stand concept in the state. Those who get the contract under the PPP model will maintain it for 40 years and then hand over the bus stand to Mangaluru City Corporation.

Land for bus stand at Pumpwell (file photo)

A 7.23-acre private land for the bus stand had been acquired in 2009. It has been nearly three years since the work of levelling the land by mud was taken up. In the past, there was a proposal to start bus stand at this space by laying interlocks on experimental basis and the practicality of locating the bus stand somewhere else was also discussed. After considering alternatives like Padil and Kulur, finally, Pumpwell remained as the place of choice for the modern bus stand.

Currently the service bus stand has been functioning on a temporary basis in the space meant for hockey ground near Nehru Maidan since the last 24 years.