 "Firms propose Rs 1,000 crore to redevelop 5 bus ports in Uttar Pradesh")
The Uttar Pradesh (UP) government has received private investment proposals worth Rs 1,000 crore to redevelop state bus terminals as ‘bus ports’.
The proposals have come for five of the 23 state bus stations lined up for the ambitious ‘bus port’ makeover under the public-private partnership (PPP) model. According to an official source, the bus stations of Ghaziabad, Lucknow, Prayagraj, and Agra districts have netted private sector investment. “The work on these five terminals will begin after getting the nod from the state government,” he said.
Moreover, the process of selecting the private partner for the remaining 18 bus stations by the UP State Roadways Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) is underway.
Last year, the Adityanath Cabinet approved the proposal to develop 23 bus stations in big cities as ‘bus ports’ on the lines of airports so that passengers can avail of modern amenities with the UPSRTC earning higher revenue with the help of private sector investment.
Last month, the ‘bus port’ tenders were floated for these 23 bus stations (located in Lucknow, Ghaziabad, Agra, Prayagraj, Varanasi, Gorakhpur, and Kanpur districts), of which developers for five bus terminals are selected. Subsequently, redevelopment plans for 75 districts would be rolled out.
The envisioned ‘bus ports’ will comprise modern hotels, restaurants, shopping malls, leisure spots, etc, and conform to international standards with special boarding ramps for bus passengers.
UP Transport Minister Dayashankar Singh said the project would completely redefine the surface transport landscape and equip the state bus terminals with passenger-friendly infra and services.
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Besides, the UPSRTC is working on its mega plan to add new buses to its fleet before the Maha Kumbh 2025 in Prayagraj. It plans to procure more than 5,000 new buses to replace old vehicles ahead of the mega congregation of humanity.
The project is estimated to cost nearly Rs 2,000 crore. The UPSRTC will procure 2,000 buses between April 2023 and March 2024, and another 1,500 between April 2024 and December 2024. The remaining buses would be bought after that. Currently, there are about 11,200 buses in the UPSRTC fleet.
The state government has estimated that 400 million devotees will visit Prayagraj during the Maha Kumbh. In 2019, 240 million visitors arrived for the Prayagraj Kumbh.