Revamp of Delhi’s bus terminals to be completed by October

New Delhi
Repairs, revamp and facelift of three interstate bus terminals (ISBTs) in Delhi will be completed by October, as the Delhi Transport Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (DTIDC) is currently undertaking infrastructure upgrades under the second phase of the exercise, the LG secretariat said in a statement on Monday.
In the previous phase of work, the corporation introduced a new parking fee structure on September 15 to improve the circulation of buses and turnaround time.
An official with the lieutenant governor (LG) secretariat said that based on the directions issued by the office, all three ISBTs in Delhi — Kashmere Gate, Anand Vihar and Sarai Kale Khan — are undergoing massive makeover. “DTIDC has submitted a compliance report on the action taken with regards to the directions issued on repair and maintenance works at the three ISBTs,” the official, not wishing to be named, said.
The action comes after LG VK Saxena inspected the ISBT Kashmere Gate on August 31 and the terminals at Anand Vihar and Sarai Kale Khan on September 9, flagging several shortcomings during the inspections.
At the Kashmere Gate facility, the damaged footpath near the entry gate has been repaired and conditions of porta cabins and FASTag barriers have been improved, the official said.
“Similarly, the departure block of the terminus had many encroachments in the form of shops which have been removed. It was observed during the inspection that ticket counters at departure block were disturbing the movement of commuters and these counters were shifted to another block. The work related to repair of damaged false ceiling and broken tiles is in progress,” the official said.
DTIDC also wrote to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) for the restoration of a damaged wall near the bus terminal, along with the removal of encroachments. Other works include the addition of lights and planters at various locations.
The official said that at the Sarai Kale Khan facility, work to improve the facade is underway. “The department is also replacing sanitary fittings, corroded roofing of platforms and undertaking improvements in the administrative block,” the official said.
At the Anand Vihar facility, work is underway to provide a passage through Platform A and create a boundary wall with the Metro. “During the inspection by LG, a number of potholes were found between platforms and repair is in progress. Depressed portions of flooring are being replaced by Kota stone,” the official added.
The three ISBTs cater to buses coming from neighbouring states and Union territories of Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand, among others.
LG secretariat said that Saxena has been reviewing traffic and transport issues along with senior officials of Delhi Police and transport department on a weekly basis since August and the revamp of ISBTs is a part of the project to improve traffic flow.