Bus depots to turn malls, MTC to run feeder service for Metro

If the transport department's plans to modernise and integrate bus depots with the upcoming Metro Rail take off, it could change the way
you traveland the face of the city.

According to an ambitious plan for which the feasibility report is likely to be ready by Friday, the Metropolitan Transport Corporation bus depots in the city could soon transform into malls which also offer bus services, especially to the nearest Metro Rail station. While the MTC would continue to ferry passenger across the city, it would redefine itself as more of a feeder service for Metro Rail than a mass carrier.

The department is planning to change a few of the depots -- T Nagar, Chindadiripet and Tiruvanmiyur to start with -- into malls with ample parking area. A feasibility study by the Tamil Nadu Urban Finance and Infrastructure Development Corporation (TUFIDCO) for the plan is in the final stages, sources in the transport department told The Times Of India.

TUFIDCO will also table different feasible revenue models. It can be a combination of public-private or public-public partnerships. First we will be giving an expression of interest for development of bus stands and the later part will be decided after we get a response, said transport secretary Atulya Misra said.

The plan for modernisation of bus depots was evolved after analysing the role of MTC post the induction of Metro Rail in the city. As the MTC transforms itself as a feeder service for Metro Rail passengers, bus depots will become transit points for passengers, who can park their vehicles in the bus depot before heading for work. On their way back, they can do a bit of shopping or have a bite before picking up the vehicle to go home. Authorities expect the profile of the average MTC passenger could also change after the introduction of Metro Rail.

"We are looking at redefining the lifestyle of bus passengers. People are now most comfortable to shop at places en route their house from work place and we plan to tap that. Once Metro Rail comes, many office- goers would stop using their cars and two-wheelers," Misra said.

The transport department has submitted a list of their properties inside the city to TUFIDCO. "All our properties may not have the potential to be developed as malls, but a few of them could be," Misra said, adding that the plans will help the department perform better while sustaining public transport as an affordable service.
-source from TIMESOFINDIA