TN Budget: MTC bus terminus to be transformed into major transit hubs

CHENNAI: The MTC bus terminus in the city will be transformed into major transit hubs with commercial complexes and parking lots through the public-private partnership (PPP) mode. In the first phase, bus depots at Vadapalani, Thiruvanmiyur and Vyasarpadi will be developed with an investment of Rs.1,600 crore, said Finance and Human Resources Management Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan on Monday.

“Though the existing bus depots in the city are located in prime locations, their full potential for development remains untapped. It is proposed to develop these bus depots as modern transit junctions to improve the passenger experience,” he said, in his Budget speech for 2023-24 at the State Assembly.

In the second phase, the Minister said that three more bus depots at Tambaram, Tiruvottriyur and Saidapet will be upgraded with an investment of Rs 1,347 crore. According to the MTC officials, the tenders have been invited to rope in a private contractor for the project in the PPP mode at Vadapalani, Thiruvanmiyur and Vyasarpadi depots.

The minister also announced that the government would procure 1000 new buses and renovate 500 old buses at a cost of Rs 500 crore. “There is a need to continuously renew the fleet of buses to provide quality and comfortable transport services to the people,” he said in his budget speech for 2023-24.

Rajan said that government would create a special purpose vehicle, collaborating with Indian Railways, through TIDCO to identify and undertake new railway projects in the State. “Compared to many other states, the share of Railways in the modal mix of the transportation system in our state is very low,” he said.

The Finance Minister said that the work on the four-lane elevated flyover on Anna Salai from Teynampet to Saidapet would be taken up for construction at an estimated cost of Rs 621 crore in the coming year. “The flyover constructed over the Chennai Metro Rail tunnels, in consultation with international engineering experts, will be a modern engineering marvel. On completion, it will improve road safety and ease traffic congestion in several major junctions,” he said.