Taking another step towards making Delhi a ‘world-class’ city, the Delhi government recently inaugurated the swanky renovated Inter-State Bus Terminal (ISBT) at Kashmere Gate.
Adorning a new look, the terminal now appears no less than an airport. The hordes of passengers who visit the ISBT in serpentine queues can now enjoy the unexpected — air-conditioned lounge, 24X7 food court, glass elevator and escalators too.
Even the facade at ISBT appears unbelieveable. Imagine a Rewari-bound rustic fellow sprawling in the air-conditioned lounge while waiting for the rickety bus (yes the condition of buses is yet to match the newly-acquired status of ISBT) or surfing the Internet, thanks to the newly-offered wi-fi system.
Though the terminal from where around 2,000 buses from eight states operate has been re-designed to offer better facilities, the original architecture of the building, which was constructed in 1976, has been retained.
The other factors of the renovated building is that it can now withstand strong earthquakes as structural strengthening and retrofitting are carried out.
Metrolife spoke to some regular passengers at the Terminal who gave a thumbs up to the renovated ISBT. Dipti Sahu, who is a migrant from Chandigarh was all praises for it. “This looks like the airport and it’s clean. This will definitely increase the number of passengers coming to the terminal but I hope people don’t litter and spit here.”
Another Delhiite, who keeps shuttling between Delhi and Jaipur said, “It definitely looks good. It has all the facilities. We can even get hygienic food here.”
The renovated ISBT is an example of the development model which is the most suitable and beneficial for the city, keeping in mind the rising population.
Although, ISBT’s renovation overshot the deadline by a few months, proper maintenance is still a concern.
Soon after the terminal’s inauguration, it was in the news the very next day, but for wrong reasons.
The fellow passengers were seen spitting and littering, street dogs having a relaxed walk at the premises! Although this concern was shared by Sheila Dikshit during its inauguration but what about our conscience?
Why blame the government for everything, haven’t they have kept the dustbins for your disposal. Or, should the chief minister personally come to collect the waste?