Bengaluru: To generate revenues from its real estate assets, the transport department is planning to turn part of their bus terminuses at taluks into commercial complexes, which will also house government offices. The department, however, claimed that the plan is to help people in rural areas to access government services easily.
Transport Minister D.C. Thammanna told Deccan Chronicle, “We have been receiving many complaints from commuters at the taluk level that most of our bus routes are not connected to government offices and they have to depend on private operators. We cannot run bus services to all the points as government offices are situated at different places. The new project will house all government offices at the same place.
He said that the infrastructure will be developed through the Public Private Partnership (PPP) and investments will be attracted from different parts of the state. The new complexes will have modern facilities, ample parking space and also space for commercial activities.
Mr Thammanna said, “This will generate revenues for our department and also save money for the other departments, which are functioning out of different rented buildings now.”
A similar concept has already been tried in Bengaluru, and Traffic and Transit Management Centres (TTMCs) have been set up at different locations in the city. But commercial spaces at many of these TTMCs have remained empty.
“We have some empty TTMCs in Bengaluru which will soon be occupied by government offices. Commercial spaces have been planned at taluk bus terminuses to allow private investors to get their returns. We will do the analysis and based on that, the procurement plan for further development of the project will be finalised. There will be a change across the state soon,” a senior KSRTC official said.
