Old bus terminus operates illegally

Tribune News Service

Mohali, October 22 

While the new Baba Banda Singh Bahadur ISBT at Phase VI receives virtually no passengers and buses, the unauthorised old terminus at Phase VIII has been catering to hundreds of passengers daily. It was restarted after the intervention of Mohali MLA Balbir Singh Sidhu. 

The old bus terminus, which is actually an institutional site as per the GMADA’s town planning, stands nowhere before the new air-conditioned ISBT when it comes to facilities, sanitation and infrastructure. Still, it receives more buses and passengers than the new ISBT. According to an official, around 400 buses of government roadways and private companies visit the old bus terminus daily and it caters to hundreds of passengers from 5.30 am to 7.30 pm.  

Following the start of new ISBT in mid-December last year, the old one was closed down by the state government. It was restarted in March following the intervention of the local Congress MLA Balbir Singh Sidhu, who claimed that the step (restart of the bus stand) was taken in view of the public demand. 

“The location of the old bus terminus suits the Mohali residents. I am not against the new ISBT but its location is very odd. People from most parts of the town find it hard to reach there. When it (old terminus) was closed down, I used to get requests about its restart from a large number of local residents,” said the MLA.    According to Ravi Bhagat, GMADA’s Chief Administrator, the site of the old bus terminus is meant for an institution. “Besides, as per the agreement between the state government and the private company, which has been handling the new ISBT project, no other bus terminus could function within a radius of 5 km of the site (new ISBT). The old bus terminus is located within the 5-km radius of the new ISBT,” said the official.

Though the GMADA officials, who want its site (old bus terminus) worth crores of rupees back, are finding it hard to take any decision in this regard. “Yes, it (old bus terminus) is unauthorised and should be closed down permanently,” said another senior official of GMADA.