JOIN USMangalore city will be a mini metro with several mega projects coming up in and around the city in the next few years. With this, the traffic within the City too is likley to increase, thus creating traffic jams and putting the public into hardship. With this in mind, the authorities have decided to go ahead with the proposal for the shifting of the bus stand.
It is said that a city’s quality of life is portrayed in its transport system and the bus stand for the common man. Unfortunately, the service and city bus stand in State Bank area is highly congested. Over the years, the State Bank area in Mangalore has emerged as the heart of Mangalore, owing to the location of the city and service bus stands in the area. However, the condition in the State Bank area is utterly chaotic, signifying apathy of the local authorities in improving the prevailing conditions. A glance at this city bus stand is enough to understand the plight of the people waiting for the buses in the absence of shelters. The only development that has taken place in the area is the concreting of the road. Though the service bus stand exists in the region, it too is congested. As a result, the city continues to labour under the congested temporary service and city bus stand and the State Bank area is yet to be liberated from its position as official bus terminal.
Realising the increasing traffic and density of vehicles within the city, the district administration, Mangalore City Corporation and Transport departments have decided to shift the city and service bus stand to Pumpwell and the process has already begun.
Background
In fact, it was previous Deputy Commissioner Bharatlal Meena who had earmarked sites for bus stands; at Kottara, for buses coming from Udupi side, and at Mallikatta, for buses coming from Moodbidri and Karkala and from Bantwal. The Central bus stand was planned at Karangalpady after the proposed shifting of the district sub jail to some other location. However, for various reasons, the proposals could not be given a shape.
In fact, Mangalore City Corporation previous Commissioner J R Lobo had identified a site for the central bus stand near Mahaveera Circle. But despite the initiative by Lobo and the former mayors Devanna Shetty, Ramesh Kotian and Hilda Alva to have a decentralised bus stand, the City Council did not show interest in the proposal, which later got shelved.
Speaking to City Herald, Mangalore City Corporation Commissioner Dr Vijayaprakash said that 18 acres land have been acquired for the bus stand. “In the first stage, 11.2 acre land was acquired and in the second stage, the remaining land was acquired. In fact, we have invited tender for the filling of the acquired land for the bus stand.”
Stating that it would be a mega project in collaboration with the transport department, he said “the bus stand will not be just a routine bus stand, it will have commercial complex and so on.”
The shifting of the bus stand is necessiated with the increase in traffic. It will help in reducing the traffic in the city. There will be feeder bus service to connect the termini to the city.
Deputy Commissioner V Ponnuraj says that the shifting of the bus stand is inevitable following the increase in the denisty of vehicles. Once the new bus stand comes up, the entire problem of traffic congestion and the barrier of DM (District Magistrate) notification denying new permits from the State Bank area will be solved. The proposed project will put up a ‘transportation hub’ having flow of public, private and inter-state buses along with various facilities for the commuters.
Bus owners view
Canara Bus Owners Association President Rajavarma Ballal said the shifting of the service and city bus stand to Pumpwell will create lot of inconvenience to the public. “Villagers who come to Mangalore city for official work will have to get down at Pumpwell and take another bus to reach the destination, which will be unnecessary burden on the poor.”
The reason for shifting of the bus stand is to reduce the traffic congestion in the city. However, if the entry of city and service buses are banned, then the authorities will have to introduce feeder buses from the new bus stand to run inside the city, which will also create traffic. “We have been demanding the authorities to allow those buses which already have permit to ply to State Bank and issue new permits for the buses from the new bus stand. In fact, the Deputy Commissioner’s office, Taluk office will not change. So people require frequent bus services to these destinations. We do not have any problem, if the authorities go for the setting up of satellite bus stands in the City.”