It's bus stand, and a lot more

It's bus stand, and a lot more

The country's first Traffic and Transit Management Centre opened at Jayanagar. Besides bus services, TTMC will offer many other facilities — parking space, food court, healthcare, et al. Nine more TTMCs will come up by July 2010. Shwetha S reports

Shwetha S



The first Traffic and Transit Management Centre (TTMC) in the country was inaugurated by chief minister BS Yeddyurappa in Jayanagar IV block on Monday. Nine more TTMCs are expected to come up in the city by next year. Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) is setting up the TTMCs with funds from the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM).
The TTMCs promise to redefine the purpose of — and the general perception about —bus stands, transforming them from a matter-of-fact transit points to a destination for most of your needs.
A TTMC will be your next-door mall; it will provide solutions to health problems and even your travel needs; it will have a post office, an ATM and a cybercafe. To top it all, it will even offer space to park your vehicle. All these are intended to make public transport more user-friendly and convenient, and alluring to those using private modes of transport.
The BMTC is planning to set up 45 TTMCs in the city, with 10 being completed in the first phase by July 2010.
"We want our city to achieve international standards," BS Yeddyurappa said after inaugurating the first TTMC, which will cater to commuters from and around Jayanagar. "One of the first steps towards this goal is to upgrade bus stations in the city and make them ultra-modern," he said. "We are setting up TTMCs in the city and in Mysore under JNNURM. We want to build TTMCs across the state, in all major districts. We want the TTMCs in Bangalore to be the model for such centres in the state. We want to have the best transport system in India," he said.
The BMTC will operate services to major hubs like Kempegowda bus station, Shivajinagar bus station, Banashankari, KR Market, Vijaynagar, Jambusavari Dinne and Bangalore international airport from the Jayanagar TTMC. About 368 services with 2,379 trips will be operated via the Jayanagar TTMC, sources in the BMTC said.
"We want to introduce all types of buses found around the world," transport minister R Ashok said. He said the state had introduced 'Atal Sarige' — bus services for those who are economically weak. The fares in 'Atal Sarige' services are half the normal fares, he pointed out.
The state had sanctioned Rs280 crore for the BMTC and the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation to help them improve their services, he said. He said the state was planning to set up an RTO and a railway booking counter at the Jayanagar TTMC.
Ananth Kumar, member of Parliament from Bangalore South, said the centre had sanctioned Rs800 crore for Karnataka under the JNNURM. The state government had requested the centre Rs800 crore for the development of the city alone.
He said there were plans to renovate the Puttanna Kanagal theatre and the BDA complex in Jayanagar. The renovation work would start very soon, he said. "We also want to upgrade the Kitturrani Chennamma stadium by setting up facilities for various sports," he said.
Among all the TTMCs in the city, the one at Shantinagar will be the biggest, Kumar said. "It will have the largest parking space among all the TTMCs, with a capacity to accommodate 525 cars and 742 two-wheelers," he said.