ALL-IN-ONE BUS depots hit roadblock

ALL-IN-ONE BUS depots hit roadblock
Recession And LS Poll Affecting BMTC’s Ambitious TTMC Project
Deepa Bhasthi | TNN

Bangalore: What was to be a major passenger-friendly initiative by Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) has hit a roadblock, thanks to the recession and election code of conduct.
There is little progress on the Traffic Transit Management Centres (TTMC) plan, which envisages an integrated model for many amenities for passengers and employees of the corporation.
In the first phase, eight TTMCs were planned out of a total of 45. The one at Jayanagar, which was to be completed late last year, has been hit by a one-year delay, BMTC director (projects) P K Garg said.
“Almost 80 per cent of the work is complete but there was a delay by the contracting company. They are now slated to hand over the centre in May, though the bus station is nearly ready,” he said.
This apart, the transit management centres at Bannerghatta and Domlur are expected to be completed by December this year, the deadlines for others in the first phase being March next year. Work on the Bannerghatta and Domlur TTMCs are expected to being by April.
Garg said they will explore the public-private partnership model for the other centres. BMTC will initially put the Hebbal and Chikkanagamangala TTMCs under this model and check the response before using it for others. However, given the recession and election code of conduct in place, not much headway is being made.
There has been a relaxation in the floor area ratio of the centres. Each TTMC will have several facilities for passengers and employees under one roof. Apart from TTMCs, BMTC has 31 operational bus depots right now, a number that the corporation hopes to increase to 100. “By March 2010, ten more depots will be added and we hope to have 6,500 buses by then,” Garg added.
Also in the pipeline are mega depots that will be able to accommodate up to 500 buses. Two such depots — at Kathriguppe and Yelahanka — are in the planning stage. “They are expected to be completed in 2-3 years, and help save dead mileage. The depots will be multistoreyed,” he said.
However, advertisement revenue, response to tenders, etc, has visibly gone down, thanks to the recession.
Facilities at the TTMCs
Drinking water, rest rooms, multi-level parking, police Public health centre, pharmacy, health club Post office counter, bill payment centres, BBMP counter, cyber cafe, public telephones Banks, ATMs, foreign exchange bureau KSRTC reservation counter, railway reservation counter, counters for taxi services, state tourism, flight check-in facility for domestic airlines and courier services Food court, departmental stores, book stores and creche
The Plan
City to have 45 TTMCs in all First 10 expected to be complete by March 2010 80% of work complete on Jayanagar TTMC Each TTMC to cost between Rs 13 crore to well over Rs 100 crore
First ten
TTMCs
Jayanagar Kengeri Shantinagar Koramangala ITPB Vijayanagar Yeshwantpur Banashankari Bannerghatta Domlur