Soon Warangal will have smart bus station

Warangal: The long-awaited dream of constructing a modern bus station in Warangal could well be a reality soon with the State Government finalising the project with an estimated cost of Rs 75 crore. The existing bus station located right opposite to the Warangal Railway Station that was built some four decades ago has been choked with traffic congestion, causing massive problems to the travelers.

The existing bus station will be replaced with a five-level posh edifice which also accommodates 32 platforms. The plan is to expand the bus station which includes local and district services so that it could cater to the needs of the exploding population for another three to four decades. The bus station will come up on 2 acres and 32 guntas, including borrowing an acre belonging to the Greater Warangal Municipal Corporation (GWMC). The Kakatiya Urban Development Authority (KUDA) has been entrusted with the responsibility of executing the project in coordination with the TSRTC.

According to Warangal East MLA Nannapuneni Narender, the denizens would feel a sigh of relief once the construction of the bus station is completed. The smart new bus station will not only reduce the traffic congestion but also provide easy access between the bus station and railway station. The plan is in such a way that it could also connect the proposed neo metro rail between Warangal and Kazipet, the MLA said. The tenders will be called for after the government gives green signal to the proposed project, Narender added. He said that the KUDA-funded bus station will have a cellar for vehicle parking, and a multi-level shopping complex. A plan is also on the anvil to construct a foot-over-bridge connecting the proposed neo metro rail.

According to KUDA officials, a high-level meeting of the TSRTC, GWMC and KUDA was already held in Hyderabad and recently in Warangal to further the project. It's learnt that the KUDA and the TSRTC would share the revenue generated through the new smart bus station. On the other hand, the TSRTC has plans to operate buses from a makeshift bus station at the 'O' city or somewhere on the Warangal-Narsampet road.