Tirupati to get prestigious Inter Model Bus Station

Tirupati: The pilgrim city will soon get another major attraction in the form of the modern Inter Model Bus Station (IMS). The Central government has approved the Rs 500 crore project and the National Highway Authority of India has prepared the detailed project report (DPR). While it was planned to construct a 15-storeyed building, the town planning department has raised objections saying that only 11-floors can be permitted in the city which has forced the authorities concerned to redesign the plan accordingly. Otherwise, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari would have laid the foundation stone for the same during his recent visit.

Tirupati MP Dr M Gurumoorthy has been working with the Central government to make the proposal implemented soon keeping in view the importance of Tirupati which is one of the largest pilgrimage centres in the world. The Central bus station at Tirupati is one of the busiest bus terminals of AP with a daily average of 1.7 lakh passengers and 4,000 buses.

As the existing bus station could not meet the growing requirements, the need for a state-of-the-art bus station with all modern amenities has arisen. There were several proposals earlier for the same including to construct the new bus terminal at another place which have not materialised. “Keeping in view various aspects and feasibility, it was decided to construct the IMS at the existing location itself with central government funds. It will be developed at the available 13 acres site which is centrally located with Rs 500 crores,” said the MP.

Road congestion could be reduced by merging various transit modes at a single hub. The works will be undertaken by NHAI / NHLML (National Highways Logistics Management Limited) of the Ministry of Highways and Road Transport. MP Gurumoorthy said that a MoU has been signed between NHLML and AP State Road Transport Corporation on August 18, 2022 for joint development of IMS Tirupati. Though it was expected to release the tender by February-end and works should start by April 2023, it was delayed with the objections of the town planning department.

The proposed mega complex with primary amenities such as passenger terminal building, bus terminal, car/2-wheeler parking facility, helipad, ropeway, Inter modal connections such as integration with other transport modes (rail, taxi, IPT stand, pickup/drop bays), commercial complex which will have a retail zone, food court, hotel etc., The additional amenities include passenger lounge, devotee counters, medical facilities, baby care rooms, ATM, EV charge station among other things.