Vadodara's bus terminal punches above its weight

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated what he called an airport-like bus terminus here. "The number of people in airports is less than in bus stands. But see how the airports look and how bus stations look. We thought of building a bus station that can match a good airport. The bus station is built through PPP (public-private-partnership) model. To bring about a change in quality of life we need to have a long-term vision. Today, the development of Gujarat is being discussed all over the world,” Modi said.

Cube Construction, which will also build the Ahmedabad bus terminal, won the Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC) bid to rebuild the old bus terminal here. Its special purpose vehicle, Spherecube Infra, has built the bus terminus, called Ved Transcube Plaza, spread over 240,000 square feet, with the built-up area 1.8 times of that. The five-storey building will house the Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation Vadodara Central Bus Terminal and a commercial complex. At full capacity, the terminal will see 1,100 buses plying round the clock. There would be 20 base stations at the terminal.

Assuming 30 passengers a bus, the terminal would see 33,000 daily. The commercial complex expects around 20,000 people everyday and the terminal 50,000. Like at airports, the bus terminal has air-conditioned waiting rooms, luggage trolleys, wheelchairs; it will also have railway station-like cloak rooms for keeping your luggage. Mattresses will be available on rent for those staying overnight at the terminal, which will have a two-storey parking lot.

"The vehicle has won the management contract for 31 years, during which it would maintain the complex for free; it would generate revenue from either selling or renting the commercial space and from advertisement,” said R Vachhani, vice-president (facility management and operations), Spherecube Infra.The commercial complex will have 400 retail shops of an average 250-350 sq ft, a flea market, a food court with 22 outlets, a seven-screen multiplex run by Cinepolis India and a 100-room budget hotel. The Spherecube Infra is in talks with several hotel operators for management contracts.
 
Cube Construction Engineering Ltd which won the GSRTC bid to remodel and reconstruct the old bus terminus at Vadodara, and formed an SPV to execute the project, has also been awarded the project to build the Ahmedabad bus terminal. "The SPV has won the management contract for 31 years, during which it would maintain the complex for free, but would generate revenue from either selling or renting the commercial space and from advertisement revenue," informed R Vachhani, vice president, facility management and operations of the SPV. He added that there would be a nominal fee to avail certain facilities like the cloak room etc, and food would be available at affordable rates. "All these facilities are to provide ease for the lower and middle income group travellers," he claimed. 

WHAT THE NEW BUS TERMINAL BOASTS 

•  Air-conditioned waiting rooms for Volvo bus travellers

•  Airport-like luggage trolleys

•  Free napkins and soaps for overnight travellers

•  Mattresses on rent for nominal charges

•  Wheelchair facility for differently abled travellers

•  Food, travel items to be sold at nominal rates