Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Saturday inaugurated a swanky bus terminus at Kilambakkam near Chennai and flagged off bus services from the new facility.
The Kalaignar Centenary Bus Terminus (KCBT), Kilambakkam, in Chengalpattu district, is the largest such one in the state and it will be a transport hub strategically designed to address the escalating traffic congestion within the city, especially around the Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus (CMBT) at Koyambedu.
Covering an expansive 88.52 acres, this terminus was established at a cost of Rs 393.74 crore. It has all modern facilities including ATMs, about one hundred shops, retiring rooms for 340 drivers, 100 male passengers and 40 such rooms for women passengers, pharmacies and disabled-friendly facilities.
Buses bound for the South belonging to the SETC, TNSTC, PRTC and private operators (omni buses) will be operated from Kilambakkam terminus where 16 platforms and 215 bus bays have been established, an official release said.
"This is a significant milestone in our journey towards an advanced and efficient public transportation network," it said.
The operation and maintenance of this bus terminus has been awarded to a single concessionaire, appointed through an online tender bidding process for a period of 15 years in a unique and first-of-its-kind arrangement in the state, the release further said.
The operations of SETC and privately-owned omni buses will begin with immediate effect, while the TNSTC and PRTC will subsequently follow.
"An MTC bus will be operated once every five minutes from Koyambedu to Kilambakkam while an MTC bus will be run between Tambaram and Kilambakkam every two minutes for the benefit of the passengers," State Transport Minister S S Sivashankar said.
State Ministers T M Anbarasan (MSME) and P K Sekhar Babu (Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments) and senior officials participated.
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