The construction of the Integrated Bus Terminus in Coimbatore was halted due to the lack of approach roads and health hazards from the nearby dump yard.
| Photo Credit: S. Siva Saravanan
The Coimbatore Corporation is yet to identify alternative land for the Integrated Bus Terminus (IBT) after the construction at Vellalore was halted midway.
Initiated in 2019, the ₹168-crore project, co-funded by the Corporation and the State Government, was planned on 61.62 acres. With 37% of the work completed and ₹52.46 crore spent by the Corporation, the project was now being repurposed into wholesale vegetable and fruit markets and a facility for lorry parking.
The IBT project was mooted after a Union Government initiative to establish a bus port in the city under the Bharat Mala scheme. The Corporation suggested land on Perur-Chettipalayam Road but was rejected due to its proximity to the Vellalore dump yard, inadequate approach roads, narrow road width, and potential health hazards associated with the location.
The authorities recommended relocating the dump yard or identifying alternative land. However, neither suggestion was acted upon, and the Corporation proceeded with construction despite these unresolved issues, said Coimbatore Consumer Cause Secretary K. Kathirmathiyon.
“A bus stand must have wide approach roads from all directions and be designed to serve for at least 40 years. The Perur-Chettipalayam Road, at only about 17 metres wide, is inadequate for easy bus movements,” he said.
Coimbatore Corporation Commissioner M. Sivaguru Prabakaran said there was no immediate need for an IBT. “We are focusing on upgrading existing bus stands—Singanallur bus stand at ₹10 crore, Gandhipuram Central bus stand at ₹30 crore, and Ukkadam bus stand at ₹22 crore. These improvements will be adequate for efficient operations. Further decisions on the IBT will depend on the State government,” he added.
Published – January 12, 2025 07:37 pm IST