International bus terminus in Rajarhat

August 13, 2013

Suman Chakraborti, TNN |

KOLKATA: The transport department and Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation (Hidco) have come up with a plan to jointly set up a plush international bus terminus at Rajarhat New Town, the first of its kind in the state. A 10-acre plot off the Rajarhat main arterial road in Action Area-II has been identified for the purpose.The plot has a location advantage since it is close to both the city airport and IT hub and central business district of Rajarhat.A committee comprising experts has been formed which will visit Chennai and Bengaluru to have a look at the bus terminus projects and give specifications of the models that will be followed in the state.

Though Hidco has been working to set up a few bus terminuses in the township, an international bus terminus has been lacking so far. Thne 10 acre plot that has been identified in Action Area II off the Rajarhat main arterial road has a location advantage of having proximity to the Kolkata Airport and to the IT hub and central business district of Rajarhat.

Hidco authorities have been keeping in touch with the transport department to discuss ways in which the state-of-the-art designer bus terminus could be set up in New Town. The plush terminus will boast of cafes and rest rooms and services for inter-city, inter-state and international bus routes will be operated from there.

that will have a modern and international look with cafes and rest rooms. The authorities are planning to set up the bus terminus that will operate inter-city, inter-state and international bus routes all together.

At present, there is only one international bus terminus in the state which is located at Salt Lake’s Karunamoyee from where Kolkata to Dhaka bus services operate.

Last week, a meeting was held between transport department secretary Alapan Bandyopadhaya and Hidco chairman Debashis Sen, who is also the state urban development secretary, along with officials of CSTC, WBSTC and CTC to discuss the plan. Senior KMDA and Hidco officials were also present to discuss the project.

Hidco also wants to introduce an intelligent transport system (ITS) in Rajarhat New Town as a pilot scheme to develop it as a futuristic township.

There have been long standing demands from residents of the township that the transport system of the area is yet to be fully developed. The state transport department issued two new bus route permits for the township a few months ago in which Hidco will run 20 JNNURM buses in these two routes. For the buses to depart from and arrive in New Town on these two routes, two spots – one near Balaka Abasan in Action Area 1D and another behind Eco Space have been identified.

Source-http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com