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Chennai: Three months after the new Tiruvallur bus terminus became operational, its commercial spaces remain largely unused despite a daily footfall of around 10,000 passengers. Of the nearly 100 shops planned at the terminus, only five or six have opened. Built by Tiruvallur municipality at a cost of ₹36 crore on 5.5 acres in Vedanginallur, around 2km from the town, the terminus can accommodate 56 buses at a time. It handles 72 MTC services with about 356 trips a day, 61 TNSTC services with nearly 520 trips, and 22 private buses making around 82 trips. The facility also has parking for 400 two-wheelers and 50 cars. At least ₹50 lakh a month can be generated by fully utilising the commercial area, experts estimate.
S Naveen Kumar, a transport infrastructure expert, said the municipality should adopt a phased commercial leasing model, prioritising high-frequency passenger needs such as eateries, pharmacies, convenience stores, drinking-water outlets, ATMs, parcel services and mobile-recharge shops. Passengers travelling to Chennai, Kancheepuram, Chengalpet, Periyapalayam, Ponneri, Gummidipoondi, Tirupati, Srikalahasti and Bengaluru use the facility.
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Shops can be allotted through transparent e-auctions with minimum reserve rents, while a mix of fixed rent and revenue-sharing can be considered for high-turnover businesses,” he said. Resident-activist K Bhaskar said the terminus should support better inter-district connectivity. There is only one daily service to Bengaluru and one SETC service to Tirunelveli,” he said.
“The municipality should not treat the shutters simply as rental properties. “Tiruvallur is a district headquarters, but long-distance services remain limited. Despite repeated attempts, Tiruvallur district collector was unavailable for a comment. Download the TOI App.