CMDA is all set to modernise six bus termini in Chennai by March 2025
80 per cent Kuthambakkam bus terminus works completed, be opened before March 2025
Kuthambakkam bus terminus, 80% completed as part of a 427 crore, 25-acre project, will open by March 2025. With facilities for differently-abled, driver dormitories, parking for 2,045 vehicles, metro link, 41 shops, eight private-bus ticket counters, and modern amenities, it will serve Western TN-bound buses. Enhanced traffic management is planned through NHAI discussions.
CHENNAI: The fully air-conditioned Kuthambakkam bus terminus will be opened to the public by March 2025, P K Sekarbabu, minister for Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA), has said. The govt has initiated discussions with National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to plan access roads to avoid congestion.
The minister said nearly 80% of the work at the terminus, being developed on 25 acres at ‘427 crore, was complete.Construction began in Oct 2021, but many facilities were missing in the initial design. “We have included more escalators, lifts, a health centre, a police outpost, a feeding room, separate toilets and bathrooms for the differently abled and transgenders and signages. It also has braille and tactile signs. A fire audit has also been carried out.”
The terminus will cater to buses to Western TN including Krishnagiri, Hosur and Coimbatore via Salem as well as Tirupati via Tiruvallur and Bengaluru. The main terminal has a waiting lounge, restrooms, a medical centre, ATMs, a ticket office and restaurants. Parking will be available for 234 four-wheelers and 1,811 two-wheelers. There are 146 dormitory rooms for TNSTC drivers and 60 for Karnataka State Transport Corporation drivers.
There will be 41 shops, and 8 counters for booking tickets for private buses. There will be four passenger lifts, three service lifts, and five escalators. The station is designed to accommodate 30 private buses and 70 govt buses at a time. A wall separates operation areas of the two services.
There will be 36 bays for private buses, facilities for idle parking for 37 outbound buses and 27 private buses, along with automated parking management systems.
Learning from the Kilambakkam experience, the govt is taking steps to ensure seamless traffic around the terminus. “We will hold a meeting with NHAI to discuss access roads. If there is any improvement that needs to be made, it will be done before the inauguration,” Sekarbabu said.
A CMDA official said the terminus will definitely get a metro rail link. “It won’t be as crowded as Kilambakkam as only 15% of the entire bus strength will be operated from here. The rest is split between Kilambakkam and Madhavaram.”
Modernization
Work is progressing at Tondiarpet, Kaviarasu Kannadasan Nagar, Mullai Nagar, Thiru Vi Ka Nagar, Periyar Nagar, and Ambattur. The total cost is ₹80 crore. T. Nagar, Avadi, Vallalar Nagar, Thiruvanmiyur, Padiyanallur, and Iyyappanthangal termini will be modernised next year
The Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA), which has established the Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus (CMBT) at Koyambedu and the Kilambakkam bus terminus, is modernising six bus termini in the city. The CMDA had announced last year that six termini that were in a poor condition would be furnished with amenities. It has also announced that six more termini will be modernised next year. They are T. Nagar, Avadi, Vallalar Nagar, Thiruvanmiyur, Padiyanallur, and Iyyappanthangal. The Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) has more than 30 termini in and around the city.
A senior official of the CMDA said that as part of the modernisation project, six termini in the city were initially selected as they were in a dilapidated condition and lacked amenities. Furthermore, the MTC’s finances were not so good. Hence, the CMDA chipped in. Tondiarpet, Kaviarasu Kannadasan Nagar, Mullai Nagar, Thiru Vi Ka Nagar, Periyar Nagar, and Ambattur were selected for modernisation in the first phase. Except for the Ambattur terminus, all the other termini are in north Chennai, serving a large number of the weaker section. After calling for bids, the CMDA has fixed the contractor for the six termini, where the work is progressing fast. The total amount allotted for these termini is nearly ₹80 crore.
The ₹80 crore project aims to overhaul these bus termini with improved infrastructure, better facilities, and modernized amenities. The focus is particularly on North Chennai areas, which serve many underserved communities that depend on public transport for daily commuting. This project represents a major step toward enhancing public transportation in the region, improving accessibility, and contributing to the overall urban development of the city.
