MMRDA's bus terminus tender gets good response

The Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority's (MMRDA) Rs 60 crore inter-state bus terminus (ISBT) project proposed at Wadala seems to be a huge hit among investors.

As many as 15 interested parties have so far picked up tender forms since the bidding process started on Monday.

Bidders can get the form till Friday and the last date to submit bids is February 24. The project would be carried out on build, operate, own and transfer basis (BOOT).

A senior MMRDA official said, "The six hectare terminus is being set up to reduce traffic congestion on the city roads. Huge luxury buses of private tour operators and government transport undertakings are the main reasons for the traffic congestion."

"At present these luxury buses going to or coming from various destinations have to go around the city picking up their passengers or dropping them," the official said.

Once the terminus is set up, these outstation buses can drop or pick up passengers from there.

And since Wadala is strategically located, these buses can reach the Eastern Expressway, Western Expressway or Pune-Mumbai highway easily. This will reduce unwanted traffic on the city's roads to a large extend since these buses will have ply on the city's roads only for a shot distance and time, the official pointed out.

"Once ISBT is completed all outstation bound buses or buses coming from outstations would have to be parked here. Passengers would be provided pick and drop facility using mini buses," he said.

The terminus would have a state-of-the-art waiting lounge, cafeteria, service station, spare part shops, filling stations, banks, office space for tourist operators, lodging and boarding facility for drivers and other staff on the bus, he said.

It is expected that, work on the project would start by May-end and it will take another year or so for the terminus to become fully operational, he said.