IBT, a 3-decade-old dream come true
: When chief minister
M K Stalin
inaugurates the Rs246 crore
Integrated Bus Terminus
(IBT) at Panjapur on Friday, it will be the realisation of a three-decade-old demand of Trichiites.
TNSTC
can heave a sigh of relief as the new terminus will replace the cramped Central bus stand. The CM would flag off 120 new
BS VI standard vehicles
, of which 18 belong to Coimbatore and Villupuram TNSTC units.
Among these, 38 are city buses, which will replace the old ones operated from Trichy city.Authorities said shifting of bus operations from Central and Chathiram bus stands to Panjapur would take time, and could be taken up gradually. This is expected only after ensuring that all amenities including restaurants are available in the complex. "IBT is the city's dream project, the facility should be maintained properly by eliminating threats of encroachments including pushcarts near the terminus," Dr M A Aleem, member, Trichy district welfare fund committee, said.
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"Around 92 new mofussil buses will be flagged off by the CM during the launch. Low-floor buses will be allocated to Trichy and Thanjavur cities in our division. Around 34 such swanky buses for city operations can be expected by next month," R Ponmudi, managing director, TNSTC Kumbakonam, told TOI.The idea of a new bus terminus germinated in the 1990s when the Central bus stand was found incapable of handling the fleets then. Soon after Trichy municipality was elevated as a municipal corporation in 1994, the demand for a spacious bus terminus was placed before the then mayor, Punithavalli Palaniyandi. Over the years, places such as Karur bypass road, Devathanam, Ariyamangalam, and Kottapattu were front runners for the IBT project. However, Panjapur was finalised by the DMK govt in May 2021. "Karur bypass road site was not considered seriously. Other sites such as Devathanam, Ariyamangalam, and Kottapattu were found technically unviable over the years," K Suresh, councillor, said.
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