Kalaignar Centenary Bus Terminus
Credit: Special arrangement
Chennai: Aimed at reducing traffic within the city limits, the Kalaignar Centenary Bus Terminus built a cost of about Rs 400 crore in Kilambakkam on the outskirts of this metropolis, from where government and private buses bound for southern Tamil Nadu, will come into operation on Sunday.
Chief Minister M K Stalin inaugurated the bus terminus, work on which started during the erstwhile AIADMK government, on Saturday by flagging off a few buses owned by the State Express Transport Corporation Limited (SETC).
Stalin also unveiled a statue of his father and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, on whom the bus terminus is named, inside the premises.
The bus terminus, which is built in an area of 89 acres on the National Highway connecting Chennai with Tiruchirapalli and down south, is aimed at reducing traffic within the Chennai city limits.
While Kilambakkam will be the terminus for south-bound buses, vehicles plying to Bengaluru, and Puducherry will continue to operate from the Koyambedu bus terminus. The government is also planning to build a terminus in Tirumazhisai near Poonamallee for buses bound for Vellore, Krishnagiri, Bengaluru, and Dharmapuri to phase out the Koyambedu bus terminus, which is in operation since 2002.
The Kilambakkam terminus will come into full operation after Pongal festivities in mid-January when all buses that are bound for southern districts will shift there. Buses run by the SETC, and private operators will begin to operate from Sunday, Transport Minister S S Shivashankar said.
The Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) will run additional services from Kilambakkam to Koyambedu, a distance of 29 km, for seamless travel of passengers. While the frequency from Kilambakkam to Koyambedu will be five minutes, it will be two minutes for Tambaram, and three minutes for Guindy.
Since the new terminus is far away from the city, the Southern Railway is also constructing a new station in Kilambakkam to provide an alternative and cheap mode of transport for people coming from the city. The government will also build a skywalk from the new railway station, which is likely to be ready by the end of 2024, to the bus terminus.
The Kilambakkam bus terminus boasts of modern amenities like escalators, lifts, trolleys, and a multi-modal parking for two wheelers and light vehicles.