Palakkad: After years of delays and technical hurdles, the Stadium Bus Terminal built by the Palakkad municipality under the AMRUT scheme is finally ready for operation. Constructed at a cost of Rs. 1.5 crore, the facility is scheduled to be inaugurated the next day.

Construction of the terminal, which began in 2018, has now been completed after overcoming several technical hurdles. With the new facility set to become operational, the space constraints at the existing Stadium Bus Stand are expected to ease while also improving safety, said Municipal Chairman P Smithesh and councillor M Prashobh. The municipality, meanwhile, is also arranging additional space for bus parking behind the new terminal.

Bus parking to be reorganised
With the new terminal at the Stadium Stand set to begin operations, the parking of buses will be reorganised.Under cthe new system, buses will be parked both within the terminal and on the western side through which buses currently enter the stand. The entry and exit points to the stand will also be rearranged accordingly.

Roadside parking raises concern
Although buses are presently parked on the eastern side where vehicles exit the stand, the area is actually a road and not a designated parking space. At present, buses are being stationed at the starting point of the proposed Stadium Stand–Kalmandapam–Kalpathy bypass.

The municipality has resumed efforts to complete the Stadium Stand–Kalmandapam bypass project. According to Smithesh, the aim is to complete the first phase of the project within six months. Once the new terminal becomes operational, buses currently parked along this stretch will also be shifted to the terminal area, thereby freeing up the eastern side road.