The construction of a modern bus terminal at Eenchakkal to unclog the highly congested Thampanoor area will be delayed further with the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation planning to take the design of the complex back to the drawing board.
The bus terminal was conceived by the government in 2004 to reduce traffic congestion in the city, especially at Thampanoor, by shifting long-distance services to Eenchakkal.
The plan was to shift super class and long-distance services from the Central Bus Station at Thampanoor to Eenchakkal. The congestion on city roads could be reduced by diverting long-distance buses through Kazhakuttam and NH bypass to Eenchakkal.
The transport utility had received clearance from the Airports Authority of India (as the project is close to the airport), the Fire and Rescue Services, and the Pollution Control Board but it put a halt to the project after learning certain bitter lessons from the new bus terminal-cum-shopping complex at Thampanoor.
“We noticed certain flaws in the design of bus parking facilities inside the Thampanoor terminal. Hence, we decided to redesign the Eenchakkal terminus and a new proposal has been submitted to the board. The board might take it for consideration when it meets on Monday,” said a senior KSRTC official.
